Days of an Ace Attorney
by Diana E. Gray
Summary: After Phoenix regains his badge, he throws a party, inviting all his friends from over the years. When they request to hear stories of his ace attorney days, how can he say no? Retelling/Novelization of games with my OC added occasionally.
1. Chapter 1: Turnabout Sisters Part 1

**A/N: So, here it is! My first chapter of my huge retelling project. No Madeline in this chapter, she'll most likely make an appearance in the next one. Really hope you guys enjoy, I worked pretty hard on it. So this is every piece of dialogue from the game...took forever! But it was fun, so I'm not discouraged. Thoughts are in italics, by the way!**

**If you can think of a better name, let me know. It's one in the morning here, so I'm not functioning my best...**

**Fan art is still being requested and accepted!**

**Please review and let me know how I'm doing! Each review means a lot to me.**

**Thanks for your support. Have a good day/afternoon/evening! :)**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>"So Mr. Wright," said Apollo, helping his boss move one of the couches in the office, his face as red as his suit. "Why are we having all these people over again?"<p>

"We've been over this, Justice," Phoenix muttered, his muscles straining. "I passed my bar exam, so I decided to get back in touch with a few friends."

"And we have to move the couch because…?"

"To make more room."

"How many people did you invite, Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked curiously.

"Just the people who knew me in my lawyer days. In fact, some should be getting here any minute."

At that moment, there was a loud impatient knock on the door of the Wright Anything Talent Agency. "I'll get it!" Trucy shouted, running for the door, blue cape flying behind her, one gloved hand holding her top hat on her head. She opened the door to reveal a man about as old as her daddy, wearing an orange jacket over a t-shirt. He had brown hair in a very strange style and a pointy goatee.

"Hey, is Nick here?" he asked.

"Nick?" Trucy asked, giggling a little. It was funny to think of her daddy having such a nickname.

"Larry!" Phoenix greeted.

"Nick! It's great to see you, buddy!" Larry called, pushing his way into the office. "It's been, like, so long!" Phoenix straightened his red tie uncomfortably. He hadn't worn his suit in what felt like ages, but he felt like he should wear it since he'd passed the bar and had officially become a lawyer again.

There was another knock on the door and Apollo went to go get it while Phoenix awkwardly answered Larry's many questions. A woman with black hair and brown eyes stood there. She looked about 27, and she wore a black robe with a red charm around her neck. She grinned at him, a grin that still looked like a child, despite her age. "Is Nick here?" she asked. Phoenix appeared behind him.

"Maya," he said, pulling the woman into a hug. Apollo looked on awkwardly, not able to think of an excuse to leave. Trucy poked her head in.

"Is that going to be my new mommy?" she stage-whispered across the room. Phoenix and Maya both flushed scarlet and separated.

"It's great to see you again," he murmured as he led her to the main room, where Larry was sitting.

She barely had time to respond before Larry intercepted her, immediately beginning to flirt. Phoenix rolled his eyes. Some things never changed, no matter how many years passed.

A knock sounded on the door and Phoenix went to open it. There stood Detective Gumshoe. "Detective!" Phoenix greeted him, shaking his hand.

"Hey pal!" said the detective happily, unable to hide a happy smile. He still wore the same scruffy trench coat and looked to be about 40. His hair was tinted with streaks of gray, but other than that he looked the same: same stubble on his chin, same red pencil behind his ear, same lopsided smile. "Congrats on getting your badge back!"

"Thanks Gumshoe. Come on in," Phoenix said, gesturing inside the small office. Everyone inside had drinks and was chatting animatedly. Introductions were made and relationships were renewed.

"Daddy?"

"What is it, Trucy?"

"Since this is a party celebrating you getting your badge back, would you tell us some stories from when you were an ace attorney?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"Come on, Nick!" Maya said. She was sitting next to him on the couch. "We had so many adventures!"

"Yeah, pal!" Gumshoe agreed. "I can think of so many fun times we had!"

"I'd like to hear them too, Mr. Wright," Apollo joined in. With the combined efforts of everyone begging, finally Phoenix agreed.

"Where do I start?" he muttered. "I guess with Mia's murder."

"I love this story!" Maya squealed, settling back on the couch.

"Pal, weren't you-"

"Maya, you were the defendant."

"I know," Maya huffed. "I like it because it's when I first met you, Nick!"

"Oh." He gathered his thoughts for a second, then began the story.

Case 1-2: Turnabout Sisters

_**September 5, 9:08 PM**_

_**Fey and Co. Law Offices**_

"Uh oh, I'm late," Phoenix Wright muttered, checking his watch as he hurried into the office. He looked around. "Huh, that's strange. The chief must've gone home already." Sure enough, the small office was devoid of people. "She said her sister was coming over so we should all go out for dinner…" He trailed off and stood in silence for a second, sniffing. Something didn't feel right. "What's that smell?" he asked nervously. "Blood…?" He started. "Mia!" He wheeled around, checking for figures in the shadows of the corner. Not a soul was in sight. _Maybe_ _she's in her office!_ he thought. He sprinted into the office, letting the door swing behind him. The smell grew stronger and his brown gaze swept the small inner office, glancing over the desk, the couch, the small coffee table. "That smell… Blood!"

A small sob came from the corner. "Sis…"

_Someone's here! _Phoenix thought, startled. He turned around, finally pausing at the window. _…! _The light from the streetlight and the moon combined lit up a gruesome scene on the floor below the window. His boss was lying on the floor, slumped in a horrible position, head down, legs bent. A teenage girl was kneeling next to her, tears pouring down her cheeks. She had black hair up in a messy topknot and her brown eyes were glimmering with emotion. A necklace with a strange charm hung around her neck and she was wearing a purple robe of some kind. Her hands were clenched tightly at about shoulder height, and she looked up at Phoenix with large scared eyes.

Phoenix was still in slight denial as he stepped closer, eyes wide with shock. This wasn't happening. "Chief? Chief…?" he said. His eyesight was failing, this wasn't happening, was it? "Chief!"

He had finally managed to pry the girl off of Mia's body. "Who are you?" he asked hesitantly.

"…" The girl remained silent. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out.

_The strange girl dropped out cold. I left her lying on the office sofa. I went back to the chief where she lay under the window._

He walked over cautiously, not knowing what to expect. Kneeling down next to her, he touched her shoulder gently.

_Her body was still warm. I could feel it when I held her shoulder. Then, all too quickly, it began to fade… Until finally, she was cold._

"Chief…" he murmured again. "It's hard seeing her like this, but if there are any clues here… She was struck on the head with a blunt object," he concluded, not without pain. "She probably died instantly. 'The Thinker' lying next to her must have been the murder weapon."

**The Thinker added to the Court Record.**

"Hmm…" Phoenix said, moving closer slowly. "There are some glass shards near the chief's body. Must be pieces of the glass light stand lying broken in the back of the room," he deduced, picking some up.

**Glass Shards added to the Court Record.**

"Nothing else that seems like a clue here…" Phoenix said, starting to stand. "Hmm…?" he muttered, catching sight of something on the ground. "A piece of paper! It must have fallen from Mia's hand!" he exclaimed, picking it up. "What could it be?" he wondered aloud. He examined it carefully. "A word is written in blood on this scrap of paper!" he said triumphantly. Surely this was an important clue. "'Maya'…? Did Mia write this?

_Wait a second! Was Mia trying to tell us something about that girl? I think I'd better show her this receipt. I never thought there'd be a use for evidence like this outside the courtroom!_

**Receipt added to the Court Record.**

_I think that's enough snooping around for now, _he mused, sitting back on his heels. _I'd better call the police and find out what that girl was doing here._

He backed away from his mentor's body, his legs still a little shaky. "Chief…" He couldn't look at Mia anymore; it was just too painful. He moved back out to the outer office, deciding to check on the mysterious girl before doing anything else. "…!" _That girl just now… where'd she go! _Sure enough, the girl he carried out to the couch not 10 minutes earlier had vanished. _I put her right there on that sofa…! _He groaned. _Uh oh… I hope she didn't run on me._ Suddenly, the girl appeared in front of him. "Yipes!" Phoenix said, jumping about a mile._ Don't scare me like that…_ "Umm…" Phoenix stammered. "Excuse me but, who are you?"

"…" The girl looked down at the ground, her hands clutching each other tightly behind her back, her eyes downcast.

"It's okay," Phoenix reassured her. "I work here."

"Maya…" Phoenix blinked when the girl spoke. "Maya Fey."

"Maya… Fey?" Phoenix repeated. He decided to try and converse with the strange girl. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. _She seems to be in shock. I don't want to disturb her, but I have to know… _"Um… excuse me? Can you tell me what happened?"

"…" Maya looked down again, not responding. Then she began to speak, taking Phoenix by slight surprise. "I came in… The room was dark." She sniffed, holding back tears. "And Sis… Sis!"

_So she was already dead._ "So, you're the chief's…?" he asked.

"Sister. I'm her younger sister," Maya murmured, her hands now clasped in front of her, her shoulders slumped.

"And you were here… visiting? This late at night?" Phoenix asked.

"Yes," Maya replied, looking down again, twisting her hands before they settled behind her back again. "She said she wanted me to keep some evidence for her."

"Evidence…?" Phoenix mused aloud.

"Yes… I-it was that clock…" Phoenix felt a jolt of dread at the next words. "It was 'The Thinker.'" He waited for more explanation, but none came. She just looked at him with those mournful brown eyes. Phoenix walked back into the inner office almost without realizing it. He still had to call the police, after all. He was momentarily distracted by the sight of Mia's dead body, but then saw the phone and remembered why he'd come back in here. "Right! I'd better call the police!" he exclaimed, kneeling down by the low coffee table. "…? That's funny… A few of the screws on the receiver are missing…" he said, raising an eyebrow. "It looks like someone was halfway through taking it apart."

"Police!" a voice shrieked. Phoenix started in surprise. "Please, come quick!"

_Wh-what was that! Someone screaming from outside the window! _He ran over to the window, trying to look out without stepping on Mia's body. "…!" He saw a woman with pink hair and a low cut purple jacket holding a white corded phone up to her ear. "She's staring right at me! She's holding a phone in her hand…" As the woman disappeared from view, Phoenix backed away slowly, deciding to go talk to that girl-er, Maya, again. He'd been putting off showing her the receipt with the bloody name on it, but he knew that if he wanted to get anywhere in this case, he was going to have to question her. He exited the inner office and back to where Maya was still standing in the office, looking shell shocked. He fingered the slip of paper in his pocket, pulling it out. "Before Mia died, she wrote a message with her own blood," he began hesitantly. "She wrote it on the back of this receipt."

"!" Maya's eyes grew round and she looked shocked, her mouth practically in a straight line. "Th-th-that's MY name!" she said, her lip trembling. "W-why! Why would she write my name?"

"Please, just calm down," Phoenix said gently as her brown eyes filled with tears again.

"W-why would Sis write my name?" she murmured.

_Uh-oh. Now I've done it…_

Suddenly the sound of a siren split the fragile silence of the night. They both jumped. "! The police!" Phoenix said in surprise. _Sounds like they're coming this way!_

"Freeze! Police!" came an unfamiliar, rough voice from outside the office door. A large man in a scruffy trench coat, a grubby shirt, and a shabby red tie burst in. The stubble on his chin, unkept hair, and bandage on the left side of his face did little to add to whatever professionalism he may have had. "Alright, I'm Detective Dick Gumshoe, see?"

_Gumshoe…? What an odd name._

"We received a report from the building across the way, see. Got a person saying they saw a murder," Gumshoe said, a frown dominating his features.

_It must have been that woman I saw, _Phoenix thought.

"Anyway," said the detective, breathing heavily. "I don't want either of you moving one inch, 'kay?"

The detective disappeared into the inner office. _Great. Just great. _Maya made a subtle movement beside him, shifting her weight. _Maya… Wait, she wouldn't have… nah._

"Whoaaaaaaaaaaaah!" yelled the voice of the detective from the office. He pushed his way back out the where Phoenix and Maya were standing. "Scuze me!" he said, his mouth in an angry scowl.

"Eek!" Maya squeaked, retreating from the livid man.

"This word 'Maya' here mean anything to you?" he asked triumphantly, holding up the note in his fingers.

"…!" Maya started, her eyes widening again. "Um… that…" she murmured almost inaudibly. "That's my name…"

"WHAAAAT!" The young girl jumped at the detective's loud yell. "The victim drew this here note in her own blood, see?" He got more and more excited as he continued. "With her dying breath, she wrote down the killer's name!" Phoenix felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Maya looked even more shocked and sick than Phoenix felt. "K-killer…? What..?"

"Case closed! You're coming down to the precinct, ma'am," Gumshoe said gruffly, grabbing Maya's wrist.

"W-what?" Maya stammered, trying to shake off the detective's strong hand.

Phoenix could do nothing but watch as Maya was dragged out of the office, crying, her haunted brown eyes burning into his memory. He could hear the police cars pull away, sirens wailing, lighting up the dark buildings with their blue and red lights. He sat down heavily at the desk until another officer informed him that he would be needed for questioning.

"Mia's younger sister, Maya, was arrested on the spot. I was taken in for questioning and didn't get out until the next morning. My eyes were heavy… but I couldn't sleep. I sat around, waiting for visiting hours to begin at the detention center. I had to talk to Maya as soon as possible."

_**September 6, 9:07 AM**_

_**Detention Center**_

_**Visitor's Room**_

_Wow, they have poor Maya locked up like a criminal,_ Phoenix thought as he entered the small visitor's room and took his seat, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the guard at the door. Another guard led Maya in.

"Oh!" she said upon seeing her visitor. "It's you! The lawyer… G-good morning," she said bravely, but her eyes displayed the fear and grief that was hidden in her heart.

"Good morning!" Phoenix replied cheerfully. A little too cheerfully, he reflected, wincing slightly. He gave the girl a once-over. _She looks so tired…_ Sure enough, there were large bags under her eyes and her head was bent.

"Um…" Maya said softly. "Are you going to be my attorney?"

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about…" Phoenix said before stopping and considering his options. He could just say, 'Sorry, not a chance,' and walk out, but that would be cruel and heartless. Or he could leave it up to her, but he felt a sense of responsibility to Maya, and he wanted her to say yes. After all, she looked so sad and hopeless. _First things first, I'd better get her cheered up… _"Yeah, of course I will! Cheer up!" he said, in a voice that sounded hollow to his ears, but hopefully convincing to hers.

She looked down, blinking quickly. "R-really…?" she asked, almost as if she thought he was playing some kind of prank and that he would get up and leave right now.

_Whoa! Did I say the wrong thing? She looks sadder now! _"Um… what… what's wrong? You don't think I can do it?" he asked hesitantly.

"…" Her silence was worse than a confirmation. Then she spoke up again. "No.. no one could!" Her brown eyes filled with tears again. "Who would believe me?" She turned to look at him head-on, her face downcast. "Even you, when you found me in the office. You looked at me like I had done it!"

A sudden flashback swept to the front of his mind, of Maya crouching beside Mia's body, her tearstained cheeks shining in the light from outside the window. _Did I look at her like that?_

A small cough from Maya brought him back to reality. "No, no!" he protested, a little weakly. "I never thought…"

"I-it's okay," Maya said quietly, her shoulders slumping a little more. "I understand." She looked down again. "…" That terrible silence filled the small room again. Then she managed to compose herself, looking up with a small smile. "And… I've also heard about you."

Phoenix was surprised. "Heard…? Heard what about me?" he asked with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity.

"I… was talking to my sister on the phone the other day…" she said, that small smile not leaving her face.

**"Today was my junior partner's first day in court."**

**"Wow! Really? How'd that go?"**

**"It was quite the scene! Honestly I was on edge the whole time. It's been a while…"**

**"Hah! So he crashed and burned?"**

**"…He's a genius. One of those 'strike fear into the hearts of evil' types… The only thing he's lacking is… experience."**

**"Huh, sounds like it was fun! Well, I know who to go to if I ever get into trouble now!"**

**"I don't know, Maya. I think you might want to wait… give him three or four more years. That is, unless you want to be found guilty."**

"That's what she said!" said Maya happily, blinking innocently.

"…" Phoenix was reeling. He couldn't even open his mouth to speak. Apparently this was evident on his face.

"I-I'm sorry!" Maya squeaked, reading his expression. "I didn't mean to trouble you…"

Phoenix shook his head impatiently. "No, it's okay. It's true, I guess. But… at the same time, I can't just sit and watch!" He sighed. "When I think of the person who did this to Mia…"

She'd looked surprised at his passion when he'd mentioned Mia, but she quickly lapsed back into a subdued silence. "…" Her eyes filled with tears again. "I know…" she murmured.

Phoenix was struck by her hopeless expression, so he decided to try and talk to her about herself to warm her up a little. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you…"

"Yes?" Maya asked, that little half-smile crossing her face, blinking innocently.

"What's with that outfit?" Phoenix asked bluntly.

"Oh, this?" Maya said, dismissively waving a hand at her strange attire. "This is what all acolytes wear. It's my uniform, you could say."

"A-acolytes? Like people in religious training?" Phoenix asked hesitantly. "What is it you do?"

"Oh!" said Maya, her eyes widening. "It's nothing strange, really!" Her face fell into a smile again with an almost proud glow. "I'm a spirit medium. …In training."

"A s-spirit medium!" Phoenix exclaimed. _I'm pretty sure that qualifies as strange._ "So you're an acolyte. A, er, medium in training," he replied, a little uncomfortable.

"That's right," Maya confirmed. "The Fey family, especially the women, have always been very sensitive to the spirit world."

"Wait a second," Phoenix interrupted. "You said the 'Fey Family'? So, Mia was into this stuff too?"

Maya looked truly pleased for the first time. Her hands were pressed together in front of her chest in what Phoenix could only assume was some type of ritual or form as respect as she responded. "Of course! She left the mountain to 'follow her career,' she said. Her powers were first class, too!"

_I… I had no idea. _"Hmm…" Phoenix said aloud, still trying to process it all. Then something clicked. "Wait…!"

"What?"

"So you're a real, honest-to-goodness spirit medium? With E.S.P. and all that?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes. …In training." Maya replied.

"Well, can't you contact Mia's spirit, then?" said Phoenix triumphantly, relieved they'd be able to work this out so quickly. "We can just ask her who killed her!"

"…!" Maya's eyes grew round and she faded again, her hands clutched anxiously in front of her. "I-I'm sorry…" she murmured. "I'm still in training. I couldn't do something on that level…"

_Hmm… I thought that would be too easy._ After that awkward conversation, it would be pretty easy to merge into the night of the crime. "Could you tell me about the day of the murder?" he asked.

"Yes!" Maya said, pretty cheerful for someone in prison. She put a hand to the side of her face and looked up at the ceiling, obviously thinking hard. "Let's see… that morning I got a call from my sister." Her hand dropped to her side and she faced him again. "She wanted me to hold onto a piece of evidence for an upcoming trial."

"Evidence?" Phoenix asked curiously. He was finding it hard to believe that Mia would entrust important evidence to her kid sister.

"Yes. That clock shaped like 'The Thinker.'"

Phoenix felt his stomach drop. _The one Larry made… "_How could that have been evidence in a case?"

Maya thought again. "Um, right, she said something about that…" she muttered. "…" Her eyes squinted in concentration. Then she jumped. "I remember!" she exclaimed. Then she fixed her gaze on him. "Do you want to hear it in her own voice?" she asked.

Phoenix was surprised. "H-her own voice!" he said in shock.

"Yes," Maya replied, looking a little amused at his reaction. "I'm pretty sure my conversation is on my cell phone."

"You recorded it!" Phoenix said in excitement.

"Yeah! I forgot how to delete those things," Maya murmured thoughtfully. He allowed her a minute to think, then gently pressed her back to the topic.

"So, you say you have a conversation with your sister on your cell phone?" he reminded her. "Let's hear it!"

"Right!" Maya smiled, her hands in that gesture in front of her again. She put her hand in what he supposed was her pocket. "Oh!" she said in surprise. She drooped again, a forlorn expression crossing her features. "I just remembered that detective took my cell phone." She sighed. "Sorry."

"Oh, right," Phoenix said disappointedly. _Of course… _"Next time I see Detective Gumshoe I'll ask him for it."

"I'll write you a note so you don't forget, okay?" Maya said, smiling.

Phoenix nodded. "Sure, thanks."

**Maya's Memo added to the Court Record.**

After slipping the note through the small slit in the glass window, Maya looked downcast again. "…" Suddenly, she looked up, her face sad but determined, as if she'd finally decided to do something. "Um…!"

"Huh? Something the matter?" Phoenix asked gently. He wanted to help the young teen in any way that he could.

"Um… I was wondering, could I ask you a favor?" Maya asked hesitantly, her brown eyes meeting his.

"…?"

Maya held out a piece of paper. "This is the address of a famous lawyer. My sister gave me this a long time ago. She said if I was ever in trouble, I should call him." She looked away again. "And, well, I'm in trouble." Her brown eyes glowed with fear and hope as she met his gaze again. "Do you think you could go ask him to represent me?"

_Hmm…_ Phoenix figured he had two options here: accept or refuse. Refusing here seemed just plain wrong. It would break Maya's heart. He really had no choice. "Sure, why not? I'll go ask," he told her, hoping it would cheer her up again. And sure enough, it did. Her face broke back into that smile and her hands flew up into that pressed-together position again.  
>"Thank you so much!" she squeaked. Her bangs fell into her eyes as she continued. "I have no one else to turn to…"<p>

"…?" Phoenix was confused. "Say, what about your parents?" he asked. Immediately he sensed that he'd said the wrong thing. Maya went quiet and she bit her lip.

"… … …"

"I… I see," Phoenix said, breaking the heavy, oppressive silence. "Don't worry, leave it to me."

"Thank you!" Maya said gratefully, although it didn't reach her eyes this time. He could tell his insensitive question had rattled her. He felt terrible. "The trial's tomorrow… at 10:00," she continued.

Phoenix started. "W-what! Tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow," Maya repeated, looking a little worried.

"What if this guy refuses?" Phoenix asked anxiously, causing Maya to look even more worried.

She recovered and said, "They told me that if I don't find one, the state will pick an attorney to defend me."

"When will that happen?"

"They're giving me until 4:00 this afternoon."

_And visiting hours are almost up… I'd better hurry! _"Right," Phoenix said, snapping out of his own thoughts. "I'll be back!" He started to get up, then paused. He felt like he hadn't gotten enough information out of her the first time, so he decided to ask again. Second time's the charm. "Could you tell me about the day of the murder?" Her lip trembled a little. "Sorry… I know it must be hard."

She tried hard and regained some composure, smiling. "No, it's okay," she said quietly. "All I've been doing the last few hours is talking about it. I've kind of gotten used to it…" She paused and thought, trying to think of anything she'd forgotten. "Let's see… that morning, I got a call from my sister. She wanted me to hold on to a piece of evidence for an upcoming trial." It was obvious that she'd told this story many times; even the wording was the same.

_That's 'The Thinker' clock that Larry made. It practically qualifies as a serial murderer by now. _He jolted out of his cynical thoughts. "So then, when did you arrive at the office?" he asked.

"It was right around 9:00," Maya replied. "The lights were off and… I could smell blood." Her eyes were glazed over, and Phoenix knew that she was reliving that night. "Th-then I found her. My sister…" She trailed off and nothing else came from her mouth.

"Thanks, Maya," Phoenix said quietly. "That's all I need to hear for now." And with that, he bid the young woman a quick farewell and stood, the piece of paper that Maya had given him clutched in his hand. He paused outside the entrance to the detention center, reflecting. He knew he'd have to save Maya and avenge Mia's death…somehow.


	2. Chapter 2: Turnabout Sisters Part 2

**A/N: Chapter 2! Shorter than the last but Madeline is introduced. I changed her age a little to make it better, so she's now 21 in the first game.**

**Thanks to feyfangirl and Solitaire Emerald for their kind reviews!**

**Please review and I hope you enjoy! :)**

**~Diana**

**Edit 2/19: Re-uploading this chapter because I made a crucial mistake! I forgot to talk to Detective Gumshoe about the cell phone! And Maya even wrote me a memo so I'd remember! So I added a piece at the end as well, planning on doing one of those for every chapter too. Hope you enjoy and forgive me for this error!**

* * *

><p>"I love this story!" Maya said happily. "Even if I was in jail and horribly depressed about my sister's death."<p>

"Pal, is that really how you thought of me?" Gumshoe asked disappointedly. Phoenix rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and said nothing.

Another knock sounded at the door. Phoenix got up to answer it, while the others continued a lively conversation involving one of Apollo's cases. Finally Phoenix reappeared with another woman by his side. She was about a head shorter than him and a little younger, with dark hair and piercing gray eyes. "Hello everyone," she said happily, smiling.

"Madi!" Maya squeaked, running to tackle her friend. Madeline stumbled a few steps backwards, wrapping her arms around the younger woman.

"It's good to see you, too," she said, giggling.

"Apollo, Trucy, this is Madeline Brent. She's a prosecutor." The woman smiled at them, gray eyes sparkling.

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking hands with both of them. She turned back to Phoenix. "He's not-"

"Not yet, but he'll be here," he promised. Madeline nodded and sat next to Maya, who eagerly began talking to her. "It's a good thing you got here, I think your part of the story's coming up!"

"Story?" Madeline asked in polite confusion.

"Daddy's telling the stories of his old lawyer days!"

"And you're at the part where we met for the first time?"

"Getting there…" Phoenix said, his face flushing.

"Hmm… I'm not too proud of it."

"Why?" Maya asked curiously, nudging her friend.

"Wait, I still have Grossberg's office first!" Phoenix interrupted.

_**September 6**_

_**Grossberg Law Offices**_

Phoenix's jaw dropped as he walked into the office. He was at the place where Maya's paper had directed him, and it was enormous. A brown leather couch and a mahogany coffee table sat in a corner with a plant far superior to the tiny plant in Phoenix's office, lovingly referred to as 'Charley' by Chief. A huge painting hung on the wall of some kind of man in a hat and shorts. He kind of looked like Indiana Jones. In any case, it looked _very_ expensive, so Phoenix kept his distance. Better not to risk having to pay for anything.

More mahogany shelves lined the walls, with binders of files, too many for Phoenix to count. Whoever this guy was, he must be successful. Finally, the most impressive feature of the room was a colossal polished wooden desk, so well-taken care of that Phoenix could see his reflection in the smooth surface. He set his hand down on it for a second, then quickly lifted it, afraid of leaving fingerprints. _According to the receptionist, the big boss is 'out'. She couldn't say when he'd be back. It must be hard to keep track of everything when you're a famous lawyer… Not to mention run an office like this. I guess I'll just have to come back later. _His shoes sank into the thick orange carpet as he headed out the door.

He thanked the receptionist as he passed. She nodded and continued typing on her computer. Phoenix took a moment to admire the ornate lobby before he pushed his way out the revolving door and onto the streets. He stopped and sighed before checking his watch. He had about an hour and a half to get back to Maya before visiting hours ended. He decided to head to his own office. Maybe he could get some information from the police there.

**September 6**

**Fey & Co. Law Offices**

_The office is filled with police officers. They're all busily searching for clues… _Sure enough, police officers were everywhere: examining the floor where Mia's body had been, going through files on the desk, examining the file cabinets. He stood there blankly for a minute, just watching. Then a voice shattered his thoughts.

"Hey! You there!" The burly detective appeared in front of him, his mouth in a scowl. "This is a crime scene, pal! No trespassing!" Then his expression changed to slightly confused. "Umm… Sorry, don't I know you from somewhere?" His face lit up with a spark of recognition. "Wait, you're that Butz guy, aren't you!"

Phoenix paled. "No, no, Phoenix Wright," he protested hurriedly. _How could anyone mistake me for Larry?_

The detective, whose name was currently escaping Phoenix right now, chuckled. "Ah, guess I got the wrong name, Mr. Wright. Sorry 'bout that. That Butz guy, he was a killer! And you're no killer! Right?"

_He WAS proven innocent… _"Umm… right. And you were…" he trailed off, racking his brain. Shoes, shoes, something to do with shoes… Suadeshoes? No. Or maybe it was gum… Gumtree? No… "Um… Gumshoe wasn't it?" he asked. He was a little hesitant at first, but then it all came back to him. "Dick Gumshoe?"

"Right! At your service!" Gumshoe replied, grinning. Then he abruptly switched gears again, a deep frown returning to his features. "Hang on! That's Detective Gumshoe to you, pal!" He sighed, an easy smile returning to his features. "Anyway, get the name right. And don't go calling me 'Dick'…"

A gruff voice called from the other room. "Hey, Dick! Get over here!"

Gumshoe looked over to the inner office. "Y-yes, sir!" he said meekly. "B-be right there!" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then seemed to remember Phoenix was there. "Umm… ahem! You're her lawyer, right, pal? If you got business here, you'd better do it quick!"

_Whew! He thinks I'm Maya's lawyer…_ Well, if there was a surefire way to get information, it would be talking to the detective. "About Ms. Fey," he began, then paused. It felt strange referring to the chief so formally. "Did you do an autopsy?"

"Hmm? You want to know the results, eh?" Gumshoe asked, raising an eyebrow. Phoenix was nervous for a moment. Would Gumshoe not tell?

"…"

"Now don't you look at me like that, pal!" Gumshoe said, pulling out some puppy-dog eyes of his own. "It's no use! She might have been your boss, but that doesn't mean you get any special treatment." Phoenix stayed quiet for a second. As expected, the detective chimed back in. "Alright, alright. You can see the report, but that's all!" Phoenix allowed himself a small smile of triumph.

**Autopsy report added to the Court Record.**

He quickly skimmed the report, as he knew Gumshoe was watching him. Mia died at 9:00 PM on the fifth. The cause was single blunt force trauma, which killed her instantly. It was hard to read; Phoenix could feel his throat closing. He decided to change the subject. "Um, about Maya…"

"Yeah!" Gumshoe cut him off excitedly. "I'm looking forward to the trial!" He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Sorry, pal, but this is one trial that you aren't going to win!"

Phoenix's stomach dropped. "W-why do you say that?" he asked.

"The city's put Prosecutor Edgeworth on the prosecution!" Gumshoe exclaimed.

_Edgeworth…_

"I'm sure you know what that means, you being a lawyer and all," Gumshoe told him grimly.

"Prosecutor Edgeworth…" Phoenix murmured, still in a little bit of shock.

"That's right, pal! Mr. Miles Edgeworth himself!" Gumshoe said. "Wait… you do know him, don't you!"

Phoenix did indeed know Miles Edgeworth, but it was a long time ago. It would be wise to get as much information as possible. "Never heard of him," he said with as much bravado as possible. He didn't expect the reaction he got from Detective Gumshoe.

"Whoa!" he practically yelled. "And you call yourself a lawyer, pal?" He cleared his throat and Phoenix knew he was in for a lecture. "About four years ago, this Edgeworth guy became a prosecutor at the age of 20! Everyone says he's a genius. Surprised you don't know him!"

_Of course I know him… I was just playing dumb. He's a cold, heartless machine who'll do anything to get a 'guilty' verdict. There are rumors of back-alley deals and forged evidence… All I know for sure is that Edgeworth hates crime with an almost abnormal passion. I never imagined I'd be facing him so soon…_

As Phoenix was concluding his inner monologue, the door opened and a raven-haired woman swept in. "Speak of the devil," Gumshoe muttered, searching in his pocket for something.

"Detective," the woman said coldly. She looked around 21 and she had flashing gray eyes that scanned the surroundings keenly. Her black hair was curled and hung around her face, occasionally falling into her eyes, which caused her to impatiently brush it out of the way. She wore a gray blazer over a crisp white blouse and a gray skirt with sensible black heels. "Do you have the report that we requested?"

"Uh, yes sir, uh, right here." The detective held out a file with a shaking hand. She snatched it from him, her eyes softening. "Thank you," she said, a small smile brightening her features. "Mr. Edgeworth will be happy to get this. We can start building our case now."

Phoenix couldn't hold in a small reaction and the young woman's gray eyes fixed on him. "And you are?" she asked, raising a perfect black eyebrow.

"Phoenix Wright, attorney at law," he said, extending his hand. She looked at it for a second, then gently shook it.

"Madeline Brent. I'm Miles Edgeworth's legal aide." He was surprised. This young woman was the legal aide of the best prosecutor in the city? She tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him closer, reading his expression. "Don't be fooled by my age," she murmured, a thin line appearing between her eyes. Apparently she got this reaction a lot. "Miles Edgeworth wouldn't hire me unless I was capable."

"I-I didn't mean to imply-"

She smiled again and finally let go of his hand. "Yes, yes you did." She turned to the detective, still cowering in a corner. "We'll expect you by the office later for a full report of today's investigation, Detective. If you're late, there will be…consequences." There was a whimper from Detective Gumshoe. "Not my words, but true all the same," she murmured, an almost apologetic look on her face. She turned back to Phoenix. "See you in court, I assume. It was a pleasure."

"Likewise," Phoenix barely managed to murmur back. "Who was that?" he asked the detective after the door had closed behind her.

"That was Madeline Brent, pal. She's been working for Mr. Edgeworth for a little while, maybe a year or so. She's got a past, but she keeps it a secret; only Mr. Edgeworth knows. Everyone raves about her; she got one of the brightest minds in the Prosecutor's Office, except for Mr. Edgeworth, of course."

"So they're both going to be on one side of the courtroom… and I'm on the other?"

"Yep."

Phoenix reminded himself that he wasn't her lawyer yet; surely the experienced lawyer would have an easier time with these two. Still, he had a sinking feeling that he would be facing these two in court, and soon.

He stuck his hands in his pockets. His fingers brushed a piece of paper and he pulled it out. "A conversation that I had with my sister is recorded on my cell phone," he read aloud. "…!" He remembered the other reason why he had to talk to the detective now. "I was wondering… did you see Maya Fey's cell phone?"

Gumshoe dug in his pocket again, less carefully this time. Finally he pulled out a pink cell phone, "Oh, that? I have that."

"Do you think you could give it back?" Phoenix asked hopefully.

"Sure!" Gumshoe said cheerfully, holding it out to him, and Phoenix cheered on the inside. Good thing this man was so gullible. Almost as if the detective had read his mind, he closed his hand over it. "I mean, wait a second, pal!" He scowled. "Tricky lawyer!"

_Uh-oh, he's on to me!_ Phoenix thought for a minute. He could tell him straight, but success seemed more likely if he told him not-so-straight. _Okay, I can't be straight with this guy… but what should I _tell him?

"Something the matter?" asked Detective Gumshoe, jolting Phoenix out of his thoughts.

Phoenix started to panic a little. "Oh, no, um… T-that carrying strap on the cell phone…"

"This?" Gumshoe said, holding it closer to his face for further examination. "Hmm… it says 'The Steel Samurai: Warrior of Neo Olde Tokyo'…" He mused for a second, waggling his eyebrows in thought. "'The Steel Samurai'… that action hero on TV?"

"Yeah," Phoenix said awkwardly, deciding to go with it. "You see, that strap is a collector's item… She… was worried that it might get lost if it went down to the precinct."

"That what she said?" Gumshoe asked, frowning in thought.

"Um. Yes," Phoenix replied.

"…" The detective kept quiet for a minute. "Okay, pal. I wrote down all the numbers she called anyway." He held the phone out again. "Here you go."

Phoenix took it, letting out a quiet exhale of relief. _Seems he didn't notice the recorded conversation…_

**Received: Maya's Cell Phone. **

_I guess I've asked all the questions I need to. _

"You all done, pal?"

"Um, yes, thank you. I'll be heading out now."

"Oh, wait," Gumshoe said, breathing heavily "One more thing I wanted to mention to you. I don't suppose you're planning on talking to that witness. Anyway, you'd better not!" He grinned triumphantly, as if telling Phoenix would put up some kind of wall so he couldn't talk to the witness. "No influencing the witness with your lawyerly ways, pal!"

"…" A flashback of that pink-haired woman appeared in front of his eyes. _Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten about her… _"The… witness?" he asked, pretending to play dumb.

"Yeah, Miss April May. I'm sorry 'bout this… But I can't tell you anything about her!" Gumshoe said.

_Well, you just told me her name. Miss April May, huh? _"So you've sent her home already, then?" Phoenix asked.

"Ahah! You're trying your lawyerly tricks on me now!" Gumshoe exclaimed, chuckling, his large shoulders shaking. "She's not to go outside her room until the trial!"

_So… she's still in the hotel across the way. _He couldn't resist a jibe. "I guess I should know better than to try and get a detective to leak information," he said, barely hiding a grin.

"You got that right, pal!" Gumshoe replied, looking proud. If only he knew…

_Time to pay a visit to Miss May!_

* * *

><p>Madeline stepped back into the office of her employer. "I'm back," she said, placing the file on the edge of his desk.<p>

"Any complications?" her boss asked, not even looking up from the file he was reading.

"No, sir."

"Good."

She sat down at her desk. "I met the attorney who will represent Miss Fey at the trial," she said hesitantly. She knew her boss didn't really like her talking to him while he was working, but she felt that this was important.

"Really?" She detected a note of interest in his question. "Who is it?"

"Phoenix Wright. He worked under Mia Fey, the victim."

There was a long silence. "I see."

She glanced over her shoulder at him. He was gazing into space, his expression unreadable. "Sir?"

He shook his head slightly, his gaze meeting hers. "I'm sorry, Miss Brent. My mind was wandering. What were we talking about?"

"Do you… know Phoenix Wright, sir?" she asked curiously.

Another pause. "Perhaps." Madeline rolled her eyes after ensuring that her boss couldn't see her. She hated when he was deliberately cryptic. "Miss Brent," he said abruptly.

"Yes, sir?"

"I trust that you've taken a look at that file, despite my warnings not to."

There was a long, guilty silence. "Yes, sir," she murmured, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap.

"I suspected as much. Well, don't be surprised if this report undergoes a few…updates."

She looked at him suspiciously, but he'd gone back to reading his file. But she could hear him muttering.

"Wright… is it really you?"


	3. Chapter 3: Turnabout Sisters Part 3

**A/N: New chapter! I had fun writing April May, but she won't be appearing in the beginning section...someone else will though! Anyways, super pumped because the Ace Attorney movie is being screened for the first time at an anime convention in America about 10 min away from where I live...I'm so psyched! Bella and I are definately going and Lily says she wants to go. We're going to go with my friend Mizuki, who does fan art for me, and maybe my friend Erica, who I converted to the series! So, question. Bella and I want to cosplay (I think she wants to be Ema), so who should I be? Post in the reviews. But this note is getting a little on the long side, so enjoy the chapter and review... :)**

**~Diana **

* * *

><p>"Hey Mr. Wright, how many people did you invite?" Apollo asked over the din. Phoenix had stopped talking to grab a drink, so Gumshoe and Maya were discussing the latest episode of Steel Samurai with Madeline listening in, a small smile on her face. Trucy was chiming in whenever she could. Larry had been banished to the other couch by Madeline, as he was yet again trying to take advantage of her currently single status.<p>

"Why do you ask?" Phoenix said, hiding a grin. He knew that Apollo wasn't a huge party person.

"Because it's already feeling a little bit cramped in here, that's all," Apollo muttered.

"Well, if you wanted, we could always move the other couch out…?" Phoenix said, unable to keep the teasing smile off his face now.

"OBJECTION!" yelled Apollo and everyone stopped their conversations to turn and look at him confusedly. "Sorry," he muttered sheepishly, his face crimson, running a hand over his spikes. The conversation slowly resumed, everyone casting nervous glances over at Apollo.

There was another knock on the door and Phoenix hastened to go and get it. A large man stood outside it. "Wright, m'boy, glad to hear the news!"

"Mr. Grossberg, good to see you," Phoenix replied. The man was now in his mid-seventies, but his enthusiasm for law had not decreased. Neither had his waistline. "Would you like to come in?"

"Certainly, m'boy, certainly." Phoenix stepped aside so the amply-proportioned man could squeeze through the door.

"Mr. Grossberg!" Maya said in slight surprise, standing to greet her sister's former boss.

"Ah, Miss Fey, pleasure to see you."

"Nick was just telling the story of Mia's murder case," Maya said.

"Ah, the days of my youth…" Grossberg reminisced. "Like the scent of fresh lemons, you see…"

"No," Trucy said. "No, I don't."

"Well, we still have April May first," Phoenix said, sitting back down. "Now, let's see…"

_**September 6**_

_**Gatewater Hotel – Room 303**_

Phoenix cautiously entered the hotel room. Sunlight shone in from a large window across from the door. There was a table in front of him with two glasses and a bottle of champagne. A large arrangement of roses filled the air with their sweet aroma. One of the drawers below it was slightly open, with a blue thing sticking out. Before he could get a look at anything else, the woman from the night before appeared in front of him.

"Well! Hello there, handsome," she purred. Her pink hair was immaculately curled and she wore a very tight-fitting purple jacket with heart buttons which clearly displayed her "assets."

"Um… hi." _Smooth, Wright, real smooth. _

"You're the lawyer, aren't you?" she asked sweetly. "The detective told me… He said, 'Don't say nothing to that lawyer, pal!'" Her voice dropped as she imitated Detective Gumshoe. "Tee hee!"

_Memo to self: thank Detective Gumshoe for making my job harder._

"Gee!" April squealed, blinking cutely. "This is all like something out of a movie! It's all so exciting I can hardly contain myself! Ooh, let me go freshen up so I can look the part of the beautiful eyewitness!" She scampered off and disappeared into what he assumed was the bathroom.

_I pity the lawyer who has to cross-examine her._ He decided that the least he could do was search the room since April had presented him with the opportunity. He walked over toward the window, glancing at the champagne as he went. "A bottle and two glasses are on the table. Somebody must be staying with her." He looked out the window. "The late summer sunlight streams through the window. There's the Fey & Co. Law Offices building, of course." He craned his neck a little, trying to see what he could see. "You can see the inside of the room pretty clearly from here. I think it would be a little difficult to recognize a face from this distance, though," he muttered thoughtfully.

He started to walk back to where he'd been standing in front of the door, but the blue object caught his eye. He tugged it out of the drawer. _There's a screwdriver stuck in this drawer. _He flipped it in his hand thoughtfully, looking at it. _I wonder what's inside? Let's take a look…_

"Hey!" came a shriek from near the bathroom door. "H-h-hey!" She moved to stand between him and the drawer. She had on that same smile as before, her hands still in that absurd position that reminded him of a bunny, but it seemed more fake this time, like her smile was pasted on. A nerve was jumping in her eye, causing one side of her face to twitch as she faced him. "What are you doing? No touching!" She reached out and tapped him on the nose, but he wasn't fooled. She was still tense. "Oooh. Bad boy!" Her face finally faded back into her more natural position, although he could tell she was a little shaken. "Y-you really shouldn't pry around in other people's rooms, now. You wouldn't want to make me upset, would you?" she asked sweetly. Too sweetly.

Phoenix shook his head quickly. _Upset! I thought she was going to explode for a second there! I wonder what could be inside the drawer?_ "Do you think you could tell me something?" he asked a little nervously. "I need you to describe what you observed at the time of the incident."

"Ooh," April said, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "'Observe,' 'incident'! You sound just like a lawyer in the movies!" She moved a tiny bit closer to him. "I like a man with a big… vocabulary."

Phoenix cringed. _Umm… *gulp* Better not encourage her. _"Er… you know that thing that occur… um… happened the other day? The bad thing? What did you see when it happened? I don't suppose you could tell me about it?" He felt like he needed to add something. "Pretty please?"

"Let me see… Um, well…" Phoenix began to feel a little bit of hope. "Dream on!" The feeling was dashed quickly. "If you want to know, you'll just have to come to the court tomorrow, Mr. Lawyer!" she replied sassily.

_Oh boy._ Changing the subject seemed like the best tactic here. "Um, could you… just who exactly are you?" In retrospect, this probably should have been his first question.

"Oooh, Mr. Lawyer!" April squealed, moving closer again. He backed up a step. "Are you hitting on me?"

"N-n-no!" Phoenix squeaked, backing up a little more. "Hey! I'm just doing my job here!"

"Tee hee! You know, you're cute when you blush," she said casually, winking. He put his hands to his cheeks and sure enough, they felt a little uncomfortably warm.

_Believe me, this is the first time in my life I've blushed this much… _"Umm… eh heh," he laughed nervously, unsure of what else to say. "Right… can you just tell me what it is that you do?"

"Well… No! Tee hee! And you had your little hopes up, didn't you!" Phoenix couldn't deny that.

_Oh boy. _Like the last time, he decided to change the subject again. "I see that there are two glasses on the table. Is someone staying here with you?" he asked.

"Oooh!" Phoenix winced. Whenever she started with that squeal, it didn't bode well for him. He took another step back and his back bumped against the door. "What amazing powers of observation! You must be one of those famous detectives, like on television!"

"Oh, no, not me, I'm, er, just a lawyer!"

"Say, Mr. Big Detective, why don't you go look for clues… in the garbage? Hmm?" She stuck her chin in the air. "Miss May doesn't like nosy little lawyers… Hmph!"

_Oh boy. _He figured that he wouldn't get any more information out of Miss May, so he bid her a quick goodbye and slipped out of the door behind him. He practically ran out of the hotel, stopping to catch his breath a good 50 feet from the office. Then he remembered what he was supposed to be doing in the first place: going to see that lawyer that Maya wanted.

About 10 minutes later, Phoenix reached Grossberg's office again. _Hmm… seems like Mr. Grossberg is out. Well, maybe I should just wait here for him to come back._

*Ah-HHHHEM!* Phoenix jumped. _If that wasn't the most over-the-top clearing of the throat I've ever heard!_

"Ah hah! So, you're the one they say has been looking for me?" The man whom the throat clearing belonged to closed the door. Phoenix was speechless. The man was huge, for lack of a better word. He was wearing a burnt orange suit with a yellow tie. His hair was gray and he had a very impressive mustache in Phoenix's opinion. It moved up and down when he talked. He also wore tiny glasses that hid his eyes because he had to squint to keep them on.

"Uh… y-yes, that's me!" Phoenix said shakily. _He looks even… grander than I imagined!_

"Hmm…?" Grossberg said, raising an eyebrow. "That badge on your collar…?" Phoenix touched it self-consciously. "Ah, so you're a lawyer, are you now?"

Phoenix nodded quickly. "Y-yes, well… yes."

"And what do you want?" the other man asked. "I'm not particularly busy these days… Please, proceed!"

_Not busy…? Then how come no one could get in touch with you? _Phoenix wondered.

"Hmm? Something the matter?" Grossberg said, shaking Phoenix out of his thoughts. "You came to see the one-and-only Marvin Grossberg, did you not?" He spread his hands in a "ta-dah" gesture. "Well, here I am, boy! What do you want? Out with it!"

"Um…" stammered Phoenix, a little intimidated. "W-well, sir, actually it's about Maya. Maya Fey."

"…!" The reaction was not what he expected. Grossberg's head dropped, his eyes finally visible behind his glasses. His forehead was covered with a sheen of sweat and his shoulders slumped. "Ah… yes," Grossberg muttered slowly. "Maya Fey. Go on."

_Hmm? Why the strange reaction? _When Phoenix looked up again, Grossberg had recovered.

"A-cha-cha," Grossberg said, with an air of nervousness. "I'm really quite busy here, son. I can't go taking cases on a day's notice! No, it's quite impossible!"

"W-wait a second!" Phoenix said, totally confused now. "How did you know the trial was tomorrow?"

Grossberg's features slipped into that anxious pose again. "Urk?" He recomposed himself quickly. "Ahem. A-anyway… I'm afraid it's entirely impossible for me to represent her. Sorry. End of discussion."

_What's going on! He refused before I even got a chance to ask him! _He thought of the teenager in the jail cell, waiting for good news. _What do I tell Maya…? _"How can you just refuse like that! Please, tell me why you won't take the case!" he practically yelled.

"Hmm? Eh, ahem!" Grossberg coughed uncomfortably, fixing his yellow tie. "Well, you see, it's just… I'm busy, you see!" he said defensively.

"But the client is Mia Fey's sister!" Phoenix said, an edge of desperation coloring his voice.

"Hmm… ahem." Grossberg looked nervous again, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Mia trusted you… She knew her sister would be in good hands."

"Yes, yes, of course. I know that." He sighed, drifting away for a second. Phoenix had the feeling he was remembering something. Then he cleared his throat again (not nearly as loud or obnoxiously as before) and straightened up. "However! I'm sorry but, I must refuse. Sorry. Good-bye."

"Creep," Phoenix muttered under his breath. Amazing how people could lose your respect so quickly. "Fine," he said, loud enough for Grossberg to hear him. "I don't have time to argue with you anyway. I'll go look elsewhere."

Grossberg grumbled unintelligibly. The only part Phoenix could make out was "…Think not."

"Huh? Did you say something?" Phoenix asked politely.

"I think not, I said," Grossberg replied.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Phoenix asked, stomach dropping to the floor.

"I'm terribly, terribly sorry," the other man murmured, looking truly apologetic. "But I'm afraid no lawyer worth their salt will take on this particular case. Terribly sorry, m'boy."

"Why!" Phoenix yelled, wanting to slam the polished desk in frustration.

"I… I cannot say." He was silent for a moment. "I beg your pardon, but could you leave? Now? I've nothing more to discuss with you."

Phoenix was utterly lost and confused. _What's going on here!_ Still, he wasn't leaving. He had more questions for Mr. Grossberg. "How did you know Mia Fey…?" he asked curiously.

"…" There was silence as Grossberg seemed to ponder something. Perhaps how much to tell him. "She… worked here. A long time ago. Quite the apprentice, that one." It seemed like the older man couldn't keep a note of pride from his voice. "Learned my techniques in the blink of an eye!" He sighed deeply. "She left one day, quite suddenly… She had a mission, you see."

"A 'mission'?" Phoenix asked, frowning in confusion. He'd never heard the chief mention a mission before.

"You could see it in her eyes," Grossberg reflected. "She followed it with a burning passion, that one." And that seemed like all he was going to say on the subject of Mia.

Phoenix's eyes wandered, finally locking on the painting behind Grossberg again. "That's… quite a painting," he managed to stammer out when he saw Grossberg's eyes on him.

"Ahah! You noticed!" Grossberg exclaimed. "It's my pride and joy! Impressive, isn't it?" When Phoenix said nothing, he continued, louder. "Well? ISN'T IT?" He didn't even wait for a response, which was good, because Phoenix was shocked into silence by the outburst. "The color of the sky! The hue of the sea! The weave of the straw hat!" He leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "It's worth at least three million. I have no intention of parting with it, of course." He straightened up, chuckling. "No, I won't sell it!" His face became deadly serious. "Not even to you!"

_I wasn't interested…_

"It's not for sale!" Grossberg said again, even louder.

"I'm not buying!" Phoenix yelled back. _Geez! _He sighed in frustration with the entire situation. The lawyer Maya specifically requested was an overweight crazy painting fanatic who refused to defend her and said no other lawyer in town would even give the case a chance. How was he going to help Maya now?

* * *

><p><strong>AN cont. : Oh yeah! I also made a tumblr, Turnabout Diana, so if enough people follow me, then I'll actually use it. Also, I'm still looking for fan art, so please give me some if you have time. Thanks!**

**~D**


	4. Chapter 4: Turnabout Sisters Part 4

**A/N: Well, updating on a Monday...who would've guessed? I'm pretty stressed right now, although I try not to let it show too much, so I write. Finally, investigation is done. Now to the fun part, court! Madi and Edgeworth, together, FINALLY! I've been waiting for this like the whole time! Also, some of my favorite Phoenix dialogue near the end of this chapter...you'll know it when you see it! Thanks for being awesome, people. I love each and every one of you, so please review! Keep the love going!**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>"Not one of my proudest moments, m'boy," Grossberg said, hanging his head. Maya patted his shoulder.<p>

"It's okay, Mr. Grossberg," she said, smiling. "We understand."

"First impressions never make for proudest moments," Madeline murmured, eyes closed.

"Too true, my dear, too true…" Grossberg replied, sipping the tea that Apollo had brought him.

"I dunno, I mean, my first impression of you was pretty good, Madi," Larry said smoothly (or so he thought), trying to move toward her again. Madeline promptly moved, sitting down next to Phoenix and looking at him attentively.

"I like hearing it from the other side," she said, smiling. "What happened next?"

"Well, next was one of the most difficult conversations of my life… At the beginning, anyway."

_**September 6, 3:42 PM**_

_**Detention Center**_

_**Visitor's Room**_

Phoenix shifted uneasily in the uncomfortable chair as a downcast Maya was lead in. "Hiya," he said, attempting a smile.

"Oh!" she said happily, when she saw him, smiling for real. "You're back! Did you find the lawyer?"

"Um… well…" Phoenix stammered. The face of the teenage girl shone back at him, truly happy for the first time that he'd seen. _What do I tell her? _"Well, see…" _Just be honest! _"I… I really don't think you should use that guy," he mumbled, not able to look at Maya. "He… didn't seen healthy. He was all skin and bones!" _Now why did I say that?_ he wondered.

"…" From her silence, it was pretty obvious that Maya didn't believe him. "What really happened?" she asked quietly.

"…" Phoenix felt horrible. His throat felt too dry to talk.

"You don't mean…" Maya's eyes filled up with tears. "He refused to help?"

"Urp."

"…" She looked down, blinking quickly. "I see. I've been abandoned, then."

"What about your family?" Phoenix asked.

"I only had my sister," Maya said quietly. "My father died when I was very young. And I don't know where mother is."

_Don't know…? So she could still be alive?_

"The woman in my family have been mediums for generations," Maya said in response to his questioning look. "They say that E.S.P. runs in our blood. About fifteen years ago, our family was involved in an… incident." She paused, sniffed, then continued. "There was a man, and he… he… He ruined our mother's life." She seemed too overcome to speak for a minute.

_"Ruined"…?_

"After that, she disappeared." She finally looked up at him again, her brown eyes filled with the grief of many long years without her mother. "Several years after that," she whispered, "my sister announced she would 'become a lawyer' and she left the mountain."

"…" Phoenix was quiet, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he asked a question of his own. "So, you live by yourself?"

"Yes," Maya said, perking up a little bit. She didn't seem like the type of person who could be sad for very long. "I've gotten used to it." She snapped her fingers, seeming to remember something else. "Oh, also, I had to become independent, or I would lose my E.S.P.!"

_I feel bad for her, all by herself up on that mountain… _He decided to bring the topic back around to her mother. He hated to do it, but this 'man' she mentioned might have something to do with the case. "So, who was this man who, um, "ruined" your mother?" he asked quietly.

She slumped again. It was clear she didn't like talking about it, but she began anyway. "About 15 years ago… there was an unusual murder case. It made quite a stir, everyone was talking about it, apparently. The police were running out of leads, and they were getting desperate…"

Phoenix started to see where this was going. "Wait… they didn't use a spirit medium, did they?"

"The police convinced my mother to try to contact the victim," Maya murmured.

"Wow…" Phoenix whispered. He could hardly believe that the police would do that, no matter how desperate they were. "So, what happened?" he asked.

"The case was solved… we thought."

"You "thought"…?" Phoenix asked in confusion.

"The man my mother helped the police capture was innocent."

"…!" _N-no way!_

"The police's consultation with a medium had all been carried out in secret, of course," Maya explained softly, her bangs covering her eyes. "But… A man found out about it and leaked it to the press. He told all the papers that my mother was a fraud, and the media jumped on it big time." The pain was still raw in her voice. "She… my mother… became the laughing stock of the nation."

"I see," Phoenix murmured. His heart went out to Maya; she'd had to put up with so much. She was so brave.

"… White…"

"Excuse me? White?" Phoenix said, not sure he had heard her correctly. What was White?

"That was his name. My sister told me," Maya replied quietly, frowning.

"White? Hmm…" Phoenix mused, trying to think if he'd ever heard Mia mention his name. Nothing came to mind.

"Just a little longer now until the state-appointed lawyer comes, I guess…" Maya said, sighing, rousing him from his thoughts.

"…" _4:00 PM. Time's up. What should I do? Do I just leave her and go home? _Going home was out of the question, Phoenix thought. "I've made up my mind," he exclaimed suddenly, making Maya jump a little. "I'm going to defend you whether you want me to or not!"

"!" Maya's eyes were wide with surprise and she blinked at him like he was crazy. "Why?" she asked breathlessly.

"Why?" Phoenix repeated. "Well…" What could he say? Of course, there was the generic 'I don't know' response, but he felt that Maya deserved more than that. He could also tell her of his sneaking suspicion that someone else was the culprit, but he had an answer that he figured would mean a lot more to her. _No one is as sad as a person without any friends. I know… I've been there. A long time ago. _He got a flashback of himself as a child, crying in that ridiculous oversize t-shirt he'd used to wear. _Why did I become a lawyer in the first place…? Because someone has to look out for the people who have no one on their side._ "Maya," he said quietly. "I won't abandon you. You can count on me."

"…" Maya was silent for a moment, apparently processing what he had said. "That's so kind of you…" she murmured, her brown eyes filling with tears. She sniffed quietly and was silent for a moment, blinking quickly to keep the tears from spilling over.

"Well!" said Phoenix encouragingly. "Let's fight this one and get you out of here!"

"R-right!" Maya replied, trying to channel some of his enthusiasm. "Thank you!"

_Whew, she smiled at last. She looks like an entirely different person! _"One last question… You are innocent, right?" He didn't realize how bad that sounded until after he said it.

She looked angry and insulted, her hands clenching into fists where he could see them. "Yes!" She softened a little bit. "And I trust you… So you trust me too, okay?"

"It's a deal," Phoenix replied, grinning. _So, what next… There's something that's been bugging me… _April May's hotel room jumped to the front of his mind. _Just what was inside that strange woman's drawer? It was when I tried to look into that drawer that she got all defensive. There has to be something in there! _He said goodbye to Maya, promising to try and come and visit her before tomorrow, but they both knew it didn't look good. Visiting hours were almost over and he had to go check Miss May's room one last time.

"Good afternoon, sir!" Phoenix jumped about a mile as he entered the hotel room.

"Excuse me, you are…?"

"Ah, I beg your pardon, sir!" the strange man said. "I am the bellboy of this establishment, at your service, sir." It figured that he was a bellboy. He was balancing a tea set on one hand and had the other across his chest, ready to bow at any moment. He looked pretty spiffy in the uniform of the hotel, but was distinguishable by his orange stripe of hair.

"Oh, right," said Phoenix. He probably should've figured that out.

"I've just come up to deliver room service, sir." The bellboy left a small tray on Miss May's table.

"Um… do you know where Miss May might be?" Phoenix asked hopefully.

"Ah. I believe our guest Miss May is currently using the, er, facilities…? If you've no need of anything, I'll be taking my leave." He opened the door, then turned as if as an afterthought. "Please, stay as long as you like. Enjoy…"

"Yeah…" Phoenix said absentmindedly. The bellboy disappeared down the hallway and Phoenix snapped back to his senses. "Wait… no! Hey!" He sighed. _Why does it seem like every time I come here, I end up embarrassing myself? Wait…now's my chance to snoop around a bit!_

"Ah, I almost forgot!"

"Gah!" Phoenix shrieked. "Y-you came back quick!"

"Might I ask you to inform Miss May that there is a message for her?" the bellboy asked, politely ignoring Phoenix's outburst. "Please tell her that Mr. White, of Bluecorp phoned."

"Oh, right. Sure," Phoenix replied. An alarm was going off in his head, but he couldn't place it. _Mr. White… of Bluecorp? Where have I heard that name? _Maya appeared in his head.

**"White… That was his name. My sister told me."**

Everything suddenly came rushing back to him. _"White" was the name of the guy who ruined Mia and Maya's mother! Could it be a coincidence? _He shook his head. If he wasted too much time, he would lose his chance to investigate. "There's a screwdriver sticking out of that half-open drawer. Now's my chance to see what's inside!" He moved toward the drawer, cautiously pulling it open, the blue-handled screwdriver falling into the drawer. "…! What do we have here!" he muttered, catching sight of a black wire and tugging on it. "A… wiretap?" Sure enough, the black box on the other end of the wire was a wiretap, no doubt about it. "Hmm! What would a woman like her be doing with a thing like this?" he wondered aloud.

**Wiretap added to the Court Record.**

"There is definitely something suspicious about this "Miss May"! Why would she have something like this in her hotel room? There's a story behind all this, I know it!" He took a deep breath. "Alright… I'll be using this bit of evidence in tomorrow's trial, that's for sure," he said confidently. "For Maya's sake…" Then he looked around, wondering who the heck he was talking to. He shrugged and continued his monologue with a heroic, "I'll get to this woman's bottom!" Then he realized what he had said. "Wait… I mean… you know what I mean," he muttered, his face red.

"Oh, bellboy…? Still there?" the voice of Miss May called from outside in the hallway.

_Uh oh, time to scram! I look forward to tangoing with you tomorrow, Miss May! In court! _He then snuck out of the hotel room, still sweating about his awkward monologue word choice.


	5. Chapter 5: Turnabout Sisters Part 5

**A/N: New chapter! Courtroom epicness, commence! Haha! Ok, so quick question, vote in the reviews or PM: for cross-examinations, do you guys want me to press everything and write all of that? Or would you rather I stick to the point and only press what's necessary?**

**Chapter dedicated to purplepjs, who's recently returned, or at least recently posted, something featuring Madeline, so go check it out! It's called The Pieces in Between, and I highly recommend it, and all of purplepjs' other work, which is amazing!**

**Hope you enjoy! Please review, I love hearing from you guys!**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>"This is the first time you've ever told us this story, Daddy!" Trucy reminded Phoenix, grabbing his arm as he stopped for a breather.<p>

"Really? You've never told them?" Madeline asked, smiling. She was sitting on the couch beside him, a cup of tea in her hands. Apollo, sitting on the arm of the couch, nodded in confirmation.

"Hey, Nick!" Larry said from where he'd crept around behind Madeline. Madeline was so surprised that she almost fell off the couch altogether; only a helpful hand from Phoenix kept her from ending up sprawled on the floor. "Why aren't we telling the story of my trial? That was your first one, right? WHY, NICK, WHY?"

Phoenix's face turned red under his beanie. "Another time, Larry. Besides, that one was only about you…" Madeline thought she heard him mutter under his breath, "and I don't want to talk about you for an hour." She giggled and Phoenix turned to her, a small smile on his lips, knowing that she'd heard. Larry pouted a little, walking away with his lip pushed out. He wandered away to the kitchen, looking for a drink. Madeline grinned at the man next to her.

"Are you sure that was wise, Phoenix? He'll be complaining all night now…" she said.

"I'd rather not tell that story again," he said sheepishly.

There was a knock on the door and Madeline's eyes lit up. "I'll get it," she said, getting up, straightening her skirt, and practically running to the door, separated from where they were sitting by a wall. A secret smile played on Phoenix's lips. He knew who his friend thought would be at the door and as he checked his watch, he had the feeling she was correct. Everyone was chattering and laughing, not paying attention to the Madeline's absence. Or perhaps they hadn't noticed her leave.

A few minutes later, Phoenix finally decided to check on her. He quietly slipped around the wall. There was Madeline was standing just inside the door, which was still standing open. She was wrapped in the embrace of another man around Phoenix's age, her face buried in his jacket. He wore a burgundy suit and a white cravat, and he leaned down to kiss the hair of the woman in his arms. She looked up at him, an angelic smile on her face. "I missed you," she murmured, moving her hands to wrap around his neck.

"I missed you as well," he replied, barely audible. "How long has it been? A year?"

"Too long," Madeline sighed, standing on her tiptoes to reach him. They shared another kiss, until Phoenix coughed quietly. The two jumped apart, Madeline flushing red.

"Well, Edgeworth, it certainly has been a while," he said, unable to hold back a grin.

"Wright," Miles Edgeworth responded, a touch of irritation coloring his tone. "Couldn't you have picked a better time to say hello?"

"No, I think I picked the perfect time," Phoenix said cockily.

"Ph-Phoenix!" Madeline stammered, her cheeks crimson, but she smiled all the same.

"It's alright, Madeline," Edgeworth said quietly, smiling as well. He slipped his arm around her waist and she leaned into him. He used his other hand to give Phoenix a handshake.

"Come join the party, you two," Phoenix said, grinning. They followed him into the main room, where Edgeworth was immediately attacked by Maya and Larry, while Madeline stood by, laughing. He was introduced to Apollo and Trucy as well, and everyone laughed as the young defense attorney turned pale at meeting the famous prosecutor. Finally the party settled back down. "Now where was I?" Phoenix asked.

"Just about to start court, Nick!" Maya said, pumping her fists in the air. On the opposite couch, Madeline, curled up next to Edgeworth, was filling him in on the details.

"I'll be interested to hear this," he said, smirking. "I always wondered what was going through your head in court."

"Well, you're about to find out," said Phoenix ruefully, rubbing the back of his neck and thinking about where to begin.

* * *

><p>Phoenix was walking aimlessly around the halls of the courthouse. He was nervous, too nervous to just sit around at his apartment. He quickly turned a corner and ran into someone headlong. The person flew backwards, files falling from their hands and spilling all over the tile. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry," he said as the woman knelt and started picking up papers. "I should've been watching where I was going."<p>

"No, it's my fault as well, Mr. Wright," the woman responded. He felt a jolt of surprise as he looked into the sharp gray eyes of Madeline Brent. She looked away, stacking papers into neat, organized piles. She was dressed in a plain white blouse and a black pencil skirt, her hair pulled back from her face with a simple black headband.

"Why are you here so early?" he asked curiously.

"Same reason you are, I expect," she answered bluntly, raising an eyebrow. "Too nervous to sit at home and wait, but not supposed to be here yet…"

"What do you mean by 'not supposed to be here yet'?"

"Mr. Edgeworth told me not to be here until 9:45. Something about going over the evidence. He said he didn't need me there." Phoenix checked his watch. 9:30.

"Why are you nervous?"

"It's my first trial," she murmured, looking up at him and pushing a stray lock of hair behind her headband, her face expressionless except for a slight twitch of her lips. He remembered how he'd felt before his first trial and felt a touch of pity for the younger woman.

He helped her to her feet and she straightened the files one more time to avoid looking at him. "Well, I'll see you in the courtroom, Miss Brent," he said, nodding. She nodded in return, a small half-smile on her face.

He turned away and started walking back down the hall toward the defendant lobby. "Mr. Wright!" came a call from behind him. He looked back to see Madeline facing him, clutching files to her chest in obvious unease. "I-um, I just wanted to say… I don't think she did it," she murmured quietly.

"Really? Why?" he asked incredulously.

"I…well, I've been in a situation…you know what, forget it." She turned away, a confused line between her eyebrows.

"What is it?" he replied curiously. She turned back, an obvious air of wanting to get something off her chest surrounding her.

"Nothing, I've just…I know how she feels. If she was even remotely as close to her sister as I was to mine…she couldn't have…" She blinked quickly and turned away. "Goodbye, Mr. Wright," she murmured, retreating down the hallway, head bowed. He looked after her in amazement. What had just happened?

* * *

><p>Madeline made her way back to the prosecution lobby slowly, her cheeks flaming crimson. What was she thinking? Edgeworth would have her head if he knew she was talking to Phoenix Wright, let alone saying what she had!<p>

She paused outside the door, checking her phone (balanced precariously on top of the pile of files) for the time. 9:40. Surely he wouldn't mind if she was 5 minutes early. She cautiously poked her head around the door, files stuck under her arm, fingers splayed on the dark wood. Her boss was already in there, as she knew he would be. He was looking at the report she'd gotten for him yesterday very closely. She watched him for a minute, trying to figure out what he was doing, until she slipped and the door opened a little wider, letting out a loud creak.

He looked up in surprise, quickly closing the file and putting it under his arm. "Ah, Miss Brent, you're early," he said. She nodded, stepping into the lobby.

"Is that a problem?" she asked hesitantly, taking a step back toward the hallway.

"No, no, it's perfectly fine." She couldn't read his expression; not surprising, while she was good at reading people, Miles Edgeworth was the one person that gave her trouble. "Are you ready for the trial?" he asked, shaking her out of her muddled thoughts.

"Y-yes, sir," she stammered, hands anxiously smoothening her blouse and straightening her hair. He gently grabbed her wrists and forced her hands back to her sides.

"You worry too much, Miss Brent. This is an open-and-shut case," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. She nodded, even the encouraging words from her boss unable to quell the butterflies in her stomach. She was feeling something besides the nerves about the trial, though. Her face flushed a little. He'd never been this close to her before. He seemed to realize it too, as he turned away, clearing his throat. "It's almost time," he said, holding open the heavy wooden door into the courtroom and indicating that she should go first. He paused for a moment outside the door. "Wright," he muttered. "Are we really meeting again after all these years?"

_**September 7, 10:00 AM**_

_**District Court**_

_**Courtroom No. 1**_

The courtroom was buzzing as the blue-suited attorney entered the courtroom. The gavel slammed then, and the judge began his preliminary speech. "The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Maya Fey."

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." A smug voice sounded from across the courtroom, causing Phoenix to look up, meeting the other man's cold gray eyes for just a moment. His own brown gaze flicked over to the woman next to Edgeworth. Her eyes were slightly warmer and her lips twitched into something resembling a smile before they faded back to a neutral position.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Phoenix repeated. _Miles Edgeworth… I'd better not show any signs of weakness today, or those two will be on me in an instant._

"Mr. Edgeworth," the judge said, turning to the burgundy-suited prosecutor. "Please give the court your opening statement."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Edgeworth replied. He had a frown on his face, and he was still and unmoving as he began. "The defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, was at the scene of the crime. The prosecution has evidence she committed this murder and we have a witness who saw her do it. The prosecution sees no reason to doubt the facts of this case, Your Honor."

"I see," the judge said, nodding thoughtfully. "Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. Let's begin then. (A/N: Breaking the fourth wall for a second. I noticed a typo in my game while playing this. It says Edgeworth says this next line, which makes no sense whatsoever, so I'll fix it. I'm on an iPad, by the way.) You may call your first witness."

"The prosecution calls the chief officer at the scene, Detective Gumshoe!"

The detective was led to the witness stand by the bailiff and sworn in. "Witness, please state your name and profession to the court," Edgeworth said.

"Sir!" Gumshoe replied. His right hand was clenching and unclenching, to keep from saluting, Phoenix thought. "My name's Dick Gumshoe, sir! I'm the detective in charge of homicides down at the precinct, sir!" Phoenix raised an eyebrow. Either he was really afraid of Edgeworth or he was nervous about testifying. Probably a mixture of both.

"Detective Gumshoe," Edgeworth acknowledged, his face inscrutable. "Please describe for us the details of this murder."

"Very well, sir!" Gumshoe said, digging in his pocket for a minute. He finally pulled out a folded piece of paper and held it up for the court to see. "Let me use this floor map of the office to explain."

Phoenix realized he had a copy of it right in front of him in the case papers. He tugged it out and examined it. It was an accurate bird's eye view of the office as it looked after the murder.

"The body was found by the window, here," Gumshoe said, indicating an awkward shape by the bottom part of the diagram. It took Phoenix a minute to realize that it was and outline of what Mia's body looked like from above.

"And the cause of death?" Edgeworth asked, intently studying his own diagram. Beside him, Madeline bit her lip and tucked another piece of hair behind her ear as she stared at her floor map.

"Loss of blood due to being struck by a blunt object, sir!" Gumshoe exclaimed. Phoenix winced at how happy he sounded. "The murder weapon was a statue of 'The Thinker' found next to the body, sir!" He pointed at a small black shape near the body. It was heavy enough to be a deadly weapon, even in a girl's hands, sir!" He pulled out the statue (or clock, however you want to think of it), securely wrapped in an evidence bag, and plunked it on the stand. The bailiff picked it up, underestimating its weight a little, and carried it over to the judge, who looked at it with interest.

"The court accepts the statue as evidence," he said.

_They're still calling it a 'statue'… _Phoenix decided to take the opportunity to add the information from the floor plans into his notes.

**Floor plans added to the Court Record.**

"Now, Detective…" Edgeworth said, slamming his hand on the his desk to regain the court's attention.

"Y-yes sir!" Gumshoe stammered, practically shaking.

"You immediately arrested Ms. Maya Fey, who was found at the scene, correct?" Edgeworth asked, glaring at the poor detective. Next to him, Madeline crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Can you tell me why?"

"Yes sir! I had hard evidence she did it, sir!" Gumshoe said, looking proud of himself.

"Hmm," the judge said, his brow furrowed. "Detective Gumshoe, please testify to the court about this 'hard evidence.'"

**Witness Testimony**

**-Maya Fey's Arrest—**

**As soon as the phone call came in, I rushed to the scene!**

**There were two people there already:**

**The defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, and the lawyer, Mr. Phoenix Wright.**

**I immediately arrested Miss Maya Fey!**

**Why? We had a witness account describing her!**

**The witness saw Ms. Maya Fey at the very moment of the murder!**

"Hmm…" the judge said thoughtfully. "The very moment, you say. Very well. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

"Y-yes, Your Honor," Phoenix stammered, taken by surprise. _Cross-examine what…? I couldn't see a single contradiction in that testimony…_

…whoosh…

SMACK!

Phoenix jumped as a folded piece of paper hit him in the side of the head. _Hey! Maya just threw something at me… _He looked down at the piece of paper, lying on the wooden table in front of him. He picked it up and unfolded it. _What's this? _He read it silently. _'When my sister couldn't find any contradictions in a witness's testimony she would bluff it and press the witness on every detail! The witness always slips up and says something wrong… It worked lots of times!' _A small grin formed on his face. _Heh… I should have expected Maya would know some of her sister's tricks! _He sighed, straightening up and attempting to regain some confidence. _Alright. Let's give this a try!_

"Something the matter?" It took Phoenix a minute to realize that the judge was talking to him.

"No, Your Honor. I'd like to begin my cross-examination."


	6. Chapter 6: Turnabout Sisters Part 6

**A/N: Well, will you look at that! Another chapter already! Don't really have anything new to say today, except that I was the narrator at my church's Stations of the Cross today. I'm pretty sure I was the best narrator ever.**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to review, submit fan art, and all that good stuff. Love ya!**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>"Well, why'd you stop Wright?" demanded a voice from the couch.<p>

"Miles, please, I'm sure he's just catching his breath," Madeline said from next to him, frowning at her boyfriend. Trucy came over, bringing the newcomer a cup of tea.

"Thank you," Edgeworth said, accepting the cup from her. "And you are...?"

"I'm Trucy Wright!" the young girl said happily, tipping her blue silk top hat to him. "Nice to meet you! Daddy's told me a lot about you!" Edgeworth coughed on the sip of tea he'd just taken. Madeline patted his back gently, an amused smile on her lips.

"Wright? What's going on here?" Everyone was chuckling now. Edgeworth looked pretty ridiculous, doubled over after choking, his face red.

"Come now Edgeworth, you really didn't hear about it?" Phoenix teased. "It was all over the news here in America."

"Sorry, Wright," Edgeworth replied dryly, "your fame hasn't quite reached Europe."

"Well, maybe we'll get to that story tonight...or maybe not." Phoenix grinned from under his blue beanie. "But not if you keep interrupting, Edgeworth."

"Are you kidding me?" the other man said in mock outrage. "You were the one who stopped!"

Madeline shushed him. "Just let him keep going, Miles," she said in exasperation with men and their foolish pride.

* * *

><p><em>Ok, <em>Phoenix thought. _Press everything. How hard can that be? I'll just start with the end… the most suspicious part!_

**Cross-Examination**

**-Maya Fey's Arrest—**

**As soon as the phone call came in, I rushed to the scene!**

**There were two people there already:**

**The defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, and the lawyer, Mr. Phoenix Wright.**

**I immediately arrested Ms. Maya Fey!**

**Why? We had a witness account describing her!**

**The witness saw Ms. Maya Fey at the very moment of the murder!**

"_**HOLD IT!"**_ Phoenix yelled. "Hold on just one second!"

"Y-yeah?" the detective said uneasily, frowning. He clearly was wondering what could possibly be questioned about this statement.

"If I heard correctly…" Phoenix said slowly, then extended his finger authoritatively. "You said you arrested her because you had 'hard evidence' she did it, correct?"

"Huh?" Gumshoe said, his face turning pale, a nervous smile forming on his lips. "Did… did I say that? Me?"

"I heard you say it!" Phoenix exclaimed without thinking. Was he really going to deny it?

"You did say it," the judge commented in an almost bored fashion, as if he had to deal with these types of things all the time.

Even Edgeworth chimed in. "You said it," he said emotionlessly. Next to him, Madeline gave a small nod of confirmation and a look of pity.

After a moment of confused silence from everyone, Phoenix decided to press on as if the outburst hadn't happened. "Exactly what about this suspicious woman in pink's claim was 'hard evidence'!" he asked, pointing at the detective again.

Detective Gumshoe scowled, creating deep creases between his eyebrows. "Wh-what!" he practically yelled, breathing heavily. He looked pretty angry. "Miss May isn't suspicious, and she sure isn't pink, pal!" There was a silence, with raised eyebrows all around. Gumshoe awkwardly scratched the back of his head, looking around the courtroom. W-well, I guess she is pink…" he said sheepishly.

"That's enough, Detective Gumshoe," the judge said from his chair. "Do you have any more solid proof other than her claims?"

Gumshoe looked side to side, anywhere but the judge. "Umm…"

_Hmm! I guess pressing can have its advantages! _Phoenix thought triumphantly.

"Yes," came a voice from the stand. Phoenix immediately felt his sweat glands begin acting up. _Gah!_ "Sorry," Gumshoe said loudly. "I got the order of things mixed up in my testimony, Your Honor Sir!" Phoenix had the feeling the detective wanted to salute again. That now familiar scowl returned to his features. "There was something I should have told you about first, Your Honor!"

The judge nodded. "Very well. Let's hear your testimony again, detective."

**Witness Testimony**

**-Hard Evidence—**

**After securing the suspect, I examined the scene of the crime with my own eyes.**

**I found a memo written on a piece of paper next to the victim's body.**

**On it, the word "Maya" was written clearly in blood.**

**Lab test results showed that the blood was the victim's!**

**Also, there was blood found on the victim's finger!**

**Before she died, the victim wrote the killer's name!**

The courtroom muttered discontentedly as the detective held the bloody note up in the air. "How do you like that?" he said triumphantly. "That's my 'hard evidence'!" Phoenix's mouth fell open. _Wait... didn't I find that!_

"Hmm…" the judge said thoughtfully, pondering with his eyes closed. He lifted his head and continued speaking. "Before we begin cross-examination, I have a question for you, Detective."

"Y-Your Honor?" Gumshoe asked uneasily, frowning.

"Why didn't you testify about this vital piece of evidence the first time!" the judge said loudly, his disapproving tone echoing around the courtroom, which had fallen silent in almost fear.

"Ah… eh… I know." Gumshoe stuttered nervously, looking down guiltily. "I'm real embarrassed I forgot about it, Your Honor Sir."

"Try to be more careful!" the judge said sternly, frowning. He sighed. "Very well, the defense may begin its cross-examination."

**Cross-Examination**

**-Hard Evidence—**

**After securing the suspect, I examined the scene of the crime with my own eyes.**

**I found a memo written on a piece of paper next to the victim's body.**

**On it, the word "Maya" was written clearly in blood.**

**Lab test results showed that the blood was the victim's!**

**Also, there was blood found on the victim's finger!**

**Before she died, the victim wrote the killer's name!**

"**OBJECTION!**" yelled Phoenix. He allowed himself a secret smile. The contradiction was as clear as day. "Detective Gumshoe! There's one thing I want you to clarify for me." He pulled out the autopsy report and the note with 'Maya' on it. "You say that the victim, Mia Fey, wrote this note. That she was accusing the defendant, Maya Fey? That's really what you're saying?" He could feel the atmosphere in the courtroom, wondering where he was going with this.

"Wh-what?" Gumshoe said, utterly confused. "This isn't one of those lawyer tricks, now, is it?" He pulled himself together and frowned, getting confident again. "Of course she wrote it! Who else could have!"

Phoenix shook his head and grinned cockily at the detective. "You have it backwards, Detective."

"B-backwards?" Gumshoe stammered, looking really worried now.

Phoenix tapped the papers in front of him in a decided rhythm. Tap tap tap, tap tap tap. He looked up finally. "The victim," he said slowly, "is the only person who absolutely could NOT have written it!" He pulled the autopsy report into the sight of the court, holding it up for all to see. "This is a report from your department, Detective." He began to read aloud from the first page of the report. "'Immediate death due to a blow from a blunt object.'" Phoenix slammed his hands on his desk, knowing that he had the detective utterly cornered. "She died immediately!"

The detective gasped. "But…!"

"No 'but'-ing your way out of this one, Detective!" Phoenix interrupted, allowing a confident smile to form on his lips.

The courtroom erupted in murmuring again, only silenced by the sudden bang of a gavel. "Order! Order!" the judge yelled, trying to calm the people down. He was clearly exasperated with the noisy crowd. "The defense," he said, inclining his head toward Phoenix, "has a point." Phoenix stayed calm, but on the inside he was cheering. _The judge said I have a point! This may just be the best day ever…!_ He forced himself to pay attention as the judge continued. "Someone who died immediately wouldn't have the time to write anything down."

"**OBJECTION!" **The courtroom fell silent at the objection from the other side of the courtroom. "Mr. Wright," came the calm voice of Edgeworth. It had the faint air of someone explaining something to a small child. "I beg your pardon, but when exactly did you obtain that autopsy report?"

"Wh-when…!" Phoenix stammered, frantically trying to think. Everything was sort of blurring together in his mind. _Was it the day of the murder…? No, the murder was at night, how could it have been that day? _"It was the day after the murder…" he trailed off, unsure.

"The prosecution's point being…?" the judge said, his eyes wide with confusion.

Edgeworth tapped the side of his head, a condescending smile on his face. "That autopsy report is outdated, Your Honor." The courtroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Wh-what!" Phoenix stuttered incredulously. Across the courtroom, even Madeline's face lit with a flicker of surprise, her gray eyes blinking once before fading back into neutral, only a tiny frown on her lips displaying any confusion that she felt. Edgeworth held up his own copy of the autopsy report, slight bending it between his pointer and middle finger.

"A second autopsy was performed yesterday, at my request!" he announced. Madeline peeked around his arm to read the report.

"'Death was almost instantaneous due to a blow from a blunt object…" she read aloud. Then she looked up at Phoenix in an air of attempted triumph, but he saw the confusion in the way she bit her lip, the glimmer of uncertainty in her eyes. "But there is a possibility the victim lived for several minutes after the blow.'"

"Thank you, Miss Brent," Edgeworth said and Madeline fell back into her place, blushing. "I received these results this morning."

"N-no way!" Phoenix interrupted loudly. He couldn't believe this!

Edgeworth pointed at Phoenix, still frowning. "Your Honor!" he said firmly. "It's quite easy to imagine that the victim did have time to write 'Maya'!" He bowed, a small smile finally gracing his lips.  
>"That is all."<p>

"I see!" the judge said, seeming to understand Edgeworth's view.

_Damn you Edgeworth! _Phoenix thought in frustration, barely restraining himself from slamming his fist against the bench in front of him. _I should have known you'd have something up your sleeve._ He began to sweat again.

Edgeworth shook his head, a cynical smile on his lips. "Why, Mr. Wright, you look shocked!" he said in amusement. He raised an eyebrow. "Something you want to say?"

Of course Phoenix had something to say. "Mr. Edgeworth…" he began. "I've heard there's nothing you won't do to get your verdict…" He finally gave in and slammed his hands on the desk. "What reason could you possibly have to request a second autopsy report?" he demanded, pointing straight at Edgeworth.

"Mr. Wright!" the judge said in horror. "The defense will refrain from personal attacks on the prosecution!" As he looked over, Phoenix saw that Edgeworth looked unfazed, as always, but Madeline looked a little shaken by the force of his anger. Edgeworth looked down. Was he…laughing?

"No matter, Your Honor…" he said quietly. "Mr. Wright. Say what you will, the evidence in this report is undeniable." He motioned to the bailiff to hand some papers to the judge and Phoenix. "Your Honor, I submit this report to the court."

"U-understood," the judge said shakily, accepting his copy. "The court accepts the evidence."

**Autopsy Report updated in the Court Record.**

Out of curiosity, Phoenix glanced over the new report as he received it. "May have lived for a few minutes after being hit…" he muttered to himself. So, Edgeworth hadn't been lying…maybe.

"Well, Your Honor?" Edgeworth asked. "The evidence strongly suggests the victim was identifying the killer."

"I suppose that's the obvious conclusion, yes."

Edgeworth did that annoying bow again. _Darn! This isn't good!_

"The prosecution would like to call its next witness," Edgeworth said, shaking Phoenix out of his thoughts. "This poor, innocent girl saw the murder with her own eyes!" The court began to chatter again.

The judge agreed and April May was called in. _Exactly what part of her is "innocent"?_


	7. Chapter 7: Turnabout Sisters Part 7

**Guess who's ba-aack? Yeah, I'm not dead. Well, what with AP testing, performing in my latest show, and finals rapidly approaching, I've barely had time to sit down, let alone write. But here it is, the latest chapter. This took FOREVER, but April May is pretty fun to write, so no big deal. Next chapter will conclude the court section, then this story will be put on temporary hiatus. Yeah, you're all crying right now, I know, but I've been asked to do a new project, and truth be told, I'm pretty excited about it. But more details on that next chapter. I'll leave you all in suspense for a little longer. Let's see, what else...? Fan art always welcome, and I promise not to leave like that ever again. Summer's almost here, only finals left and I'm done! Alright, this note is long enough. Hope you enjoy this crazy long chapter and see you later! **

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>Let<p>

When Phoenix paused, Edgeworth let out a groan. "I remember that woman," he muttered. "She was horrible."

"Not as horrible as some of your other women acquaintances," Madeline said, winking at him.

"Don't remind me."

"What? What other women has Mr. Edgeworth known?" Trucy asked eagerly, plopping down next to Madeline.

"Well, one time, when we were in San Francisco-"

"Madeline, no," Edgeworth cut her off quickly. "We agreed not to discuss that ever again."

"Fine," she said with a heavy sigh, but she flashed him a bright smile to show him that she was kidding. He kissed her forehead and she smiled.

Maya snickered. "Good to see the lovebirds are still as close as ever," she said, grinning.

Edgeworth laughed a little. "Ironically, this case was around the time that I began to realize my feelings for her." He sighed. "I just didn't recognize them for what they were."

Madeline curled up closer to him. "Keep going, Phoenix," she commanded, lifting her head a little to look the attorney in the eye. "It's weird hearing him talk about his feelings."

* * *

><p>In a matter of minutes, April May was brought into the courtroom by the bailiff, whose eyes looked a little wider than usual. He seemed to be eying her rather large and exposed chest. She was sworn in and gazed around the courtroom like a little child, blinking cutely at everyone in the room. "Witness, your name, please," Edgeworth said, not changing expression. It was easier to tell what Madeline thought of the new witness: her nose was wrinkled just a little in disgust and she was frowning.<p>

April's eyes snapped onto him. "April May! At your service!" she squealed. Then she winked, shaking her clearly exposed "assets" for all to see. Phoenix almost gagged and looking over, he noticed a deeper line of displeasure between Madeline's eyebrows. Edgeworth, however, was unfazed as always. The crowd went wild, murmuring excitedly to each other. Phoenix thought he could pick out mostly male voices. The judge had to slam his gavel several times to regain the court's attention. Phoenix glanced across the courtroom to see Edgeworth talking firmly to Madeline, who was pursing her lips in annoyance.

* * *

><p>"Miss Brent."<p>

Madeline jumped in slight surprise. She'd been lost in her own thoughts. "Yes, sir?" she said quietly. It surprised her that Mr. Edgeworth would take advantage of the noise of the court to talk to her.

"You are like an open book. Try not to be to the rest of the court, will you?" He turned to face her for a moment. His expression wasn't angry or annoyed, just composed.

She felt her face turn hot. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry." She risked another glance at the witness stand. "I just…can't stand women like her," she muttered, unsure of whether her boss was still listening or not. She started again when he replied.

"Be that as it may…" he said, looking away from her and toward the witness stand again. "We need her testimony, although I don't care for her type either." Madeline snorted, and after she made sure he was looking in the other direction, couldn't hide a tiny grin of triumph. It quickly disappeared after another glance at the stand. April May was looking directly at her and grinning smugly. She knew she'd gotten under Madeline's skin, even if only for a minute. _We are going to have a little chat after this, M_iss _May_, she thought, pressing her lips together. She was shaken out of her thoughts by the judge's gavel, but if she'd have looked over to her right a minute earlier, she would have seen a pair of gray eyes studying her intensely.

* * *

><p>"Order! An introduction should not require any reaction from the crowd!" the judge yelled as the courtroom quieted down. Even his eyes were wide as he continued. "The witness will refrain from wonton winking!"<p>

April May pouted, lifting her hands to her eyes as if to wipe away tears. "Aww…" she said, her bottom lip jutting out. "Yes, Your Honor."

_This is not good…_ Phoenix thought to himself, starting to sweat again. _She's already captured the heart of every man in the court!_

"Tell us, where were you on the night of September 5, when the murder occurred?" Edgeworth asked, his voice cutting smoothly through the racket, despite the fact that he didn't raise his voice one bit.

April put a finger to her chin, looking up at the ceiling and blinking, her eyes wide and cute. "Um… gee… I was, like, in my hotel room? Tee hee." She giggled again. "I checked in right after lunch."

"And this hotel is directly across from the Fey and Co. Law Offices?" Edgeworth said. April May finally turned her full attention on the prosecutor.

"Mmm…" she said appreciatively, looking him up and down. "That's right, big boy." Madeline's gray eyes flashed with irritation, but no one seemed to notice except for Phoenix.

"Please testify to the court about what you saw," the judge said.

**Witness Testimony**

**-Witness's Account—**

**It was, like, 9:00 at night. I looked out the window, y'know!**

**And then, oooh! I saw a woman with long hair being attacked!**

**The one attacking her was the mousey girl sitting in the defendant's chair!**

**Then the woman, like, dodged to one side and ran away!**

**But that girl, she caught up to her and... and… she hit her!**

**Then the woman with the long hair…**

**She kinda… slumped.**

"The end. That's all I saw. Every little bitsy witsy!" She winked again and did another little shimmy, sticking her tongue out this time. Phoenix groaned. _We may have heard every little bitsy witsy of your testimony, but we don't need to see every little bitsy witsy of your chest!_

"Hmm…" the judge muttered pensively.

"Well, Your Honor?" Edgeworth said confidently, raising an eyebrow.

"I see. It is a remarkably solid testimony," the older man said, closing his eyes in thought. "I don't see a need to trouble the witness any…"

Phoenix couldn't believe it. "W-wait, Your Honor!" he interrupted. His voice cracked a little at the end, causing him to flush a little pink.

"Yes, Mr. Wright?" the judge said, turning his piercing gaze to the young defense attorney.

"What about my cross-examination?" Phoenix realized a little late that he sounded like a whiny child, just a little bit.

The judge's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought the witness's testimony just now was quite… firm. Didn't you?"

"Mr. Wright…" came Edgeworth's voice from the other side of the courtroom. "I understand you were Ms. Mia Fey's understudy, were you not?" Phoenix was confused; where was Edgeworth going with this? "You must know her techniques well." He crossed his arms smugly, tapping a finger against his arm. "Her cowardly way of finding tiny faults in perfectly good testimonies…"

"H-hey!" Phoenix exclaimed. "How dare you!" Even Madeline looked surprised at her mentor's harsh words.

"Well, Mr. Wright? Will you cross-examine the witness?" Phoenix's eyes were determined. He didn't really have another choice, did he?

"I'll gladly proceed with the cross-examination," the lawyer said firmly. _If only because I have a feeling those two don't want me to! She has to have some weakness!_

"Very well, you may begin your cross-examination," the judge said heavily, sighing a little bit. Phoenix frowned. Why was it always him?

**Cross-Examination**

**-Witness's Account—**

**It was, like, 9:00 at night. I looked out the window, y'know!**

**And then, oooh! I saw a woman with long hair being attacked!**

**The one attacking her was the mousey girl sitting in the defendant's chair!**

"**HOLD IT! **How do you know she was the defendant?" Phoenix asked suspiciously.

April put a finger to her chin, thinking. "Huh? Well… y'know!" She was clearly struggling for words. "S-she had a girlish physique. Women know these things," she said nervously. "Look… I-I just know, okay?"

"There was only one person at the scene of the crime with a short, girlish figure," said Edgeworth, spreading out his hands in that annoying way again. "The testimony is bulletproof, Your Honor."

_He's right… _Phoenix thought. But there was a nagging doubt in the back of his mind. "Hold on a minute!" he yelled, startling everyone with a finger point. "That testimony stinks!" He sighed inwardly. His maturity wasn't improving.

"W-what!" the pink-haired woman on the witness stand squeaked.

"Miss May, I'm willing to bet that…" He paused. Did she see nothing? Or was she lying? He slammed his hands on his desk again, making a loud bang. "Did you really see the defendant at all?" he yelled.

April's smile hardened. "Urp!" The court fell into discontented muttering and the judge had to bang his gavel several times yet again.

"Mr. Wright!" he said loudly over the last people quieting down. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Yes, what is the meaning!" April's voice cracked as she yelled shrilly across the courtroom. She seemed to be hysterical. "Somebody tell me because I'm clueless! About this, I mean!" Phoenix could tell it was an act by the way her eyes kept flashing at him.

"Okay…" he said slowly. "If you had really witnessed my client, Maya Fey, you would have noticed her clothes before noticing her physique!" His objecting finger had made its way out again.

"…!" A muscle was twitching in April's jaw. He glanced over at the prosecution. Edgeworth was stoic as always, not looking at him, but Madeline's gray eyes met his and she grinned imperceptibly. He could tell that she hated this witness as much as he did and he could practically hear her voice in his mind: _You've got her on the ropes, Mr. Wright. Don't back down now._

Phoenix directed the court's attention to Maya, hunched in the defendant's chair. She quailed at all the new eyes on her, and he gave her an apologetic look. "No one wears clothes like this on a daily basis! Except her!" He raised an eyebrow. "And I'm no expert on fashion, but her hairdo looks far from normal to me!" He looked back at Edgeworth again, a faint challenge in his eyes. "However, the witness's testimony mentions neither of these things!" Another desk slam punctuated his next words. "This testimony is bogus!"

April looked like she was about to cry again. "But… but!" she stuttered.

"Still, we don't know if she was dressed that way on the night of the murder…" the judge said doubtfully.

"She was, Your Honor!" Phoenix asserted. An image of Maya beside Mia's body overcame him. "I saw her. And so did Detective Gumshoe!" His hands met the desk with a triumphant bang. "What do you say to that, Miss May?"

"Rowr!" April's lip curled. "What are you trying to say, you mean lawyer! I-I saw what I saw." She put a finger to her chin again, her mouth forming an innocent 'o'. "I… just didn't think all the trifling little details were necessary, darling." Phoenix frowned. She was obviously lying.

"Miss May," the judge said sternly, focusing his gaze on her. "The court would like to remind you to please omit nothing in your testimony." His slight emphasis on the word 'nothing' did not go unnoticed by the rest of the court, but April either didn't hear or ignored it.

"I'm sorry, Your Honor," she said pitifully. Then she had one of those mood swings and went back to shaking her stuff. "I'll be a good girl, I promise," she continued seductively, winking.

"Your testimony again, if you would," the judge responded. Phoenix could see it was taking a great effort not to react.

_Damn, I almost had her!_ Phoenix thought angrily.

**Witness Testimony**

**-Witness's Account—**

**I did see everything! I did!**

**The victim—the woman—dodged the first attack and ran off to the right.**

**Then the girl in the hippie clothes ran after her…**

**And she hit her with that weapon! I saw it! I did!**

**That… that clock! Um… the kinda statue-y clock? "The Thinker," I think?**

**Well? Does the accuracy of my report not startle you? Tee-hee!**

Phoenix frowned. She seemed to have 'remembered' a lot more information that had been previously said in the trial.

"I… see." The judge was concentrating, his eyes closed. "I only wish you had been so detailed from the beginning." He turned to Phoenix. "Please begin the cross-examination."

There was a slight pause as Phoenix thought for a second. Then a confident smirk crossed his features as he saw the glaring mistake in the latest testimony.

**Cross-Examination**

**-Witness's Account—**

**I did see everything! I did!**

**The victim—the woman—dodged the first attack and ran off to the right.**

**Then the girl in the hippie clothes ran after her…**

**And she hit her with that weapon! I saw it! I did!**

**That… that clock! Um… the kinda statue-y clock? "The Thinker," I think?**

"**OBJECTION!" **Everyone fell silent and looked at Phoenix attentively. "Miss May. What you said just now was quite… revealing."

"Revealing?" April said mischievously. "Oooh, you'd like that, wouldn't you. Naughty Mr. Lawyer…" Phoenix inwardly cursed himself yet again at his poor word choice. He decided to press on.

"You just said that this statue of "The Thinker" was a clock," he said. "But there's no way of knowing that just by looking at it!"

Her smile twitched and her hands curled into tighter fists. "Urp!"

Phoenix kept cool, but on the inside he was celebrating. Point to Phoenix! "Another person in much the same position as you recently called this a "clock" too… And he was found guilty… of murder!"

The court burst into excited murmuring again. The judge's gavel came down. "Order! Order!"

"Miss May," Phoenix pressed on, regardless of the noise. "Can you explain how you know this was a clock?"

"Oooh… urp!" April choked.

"**OBJECTION!**" The courtroom quieted down in a heartbeat and Phoenix frowned. How did Edgeworth have so much power over the crowd? "The witness saw the murder with her own eyes! That's all that's important here!" He banged his desk and Madeline leaned forward a little. "The defense is trying to confuse the issure with trivial concerns!"

"Yes… yes, yes of course," the judge said, nodding slowly. Phoenix could hardly believe he was hearing this. "You will withdraw your question, Mr. Wright."

The attorney felt eyes burning into him from the other side of the courtroom. He met the gaze of the gray-eyed legal aide. He had no idea why this trial seemed so important to her. Her intense stare told him not to give up.

"**OBJECTION!**"

Madeline peeked through a curtain of black hair at her boss before throwing Phoenix a quick grin. She knew that he undoubtedly was confused as to why she was behaving like this, and to be honest, she was a bit confused herself. But there was one thing she knew for sure: that girl in the defendant's chair had to be innocent. No one could just kill their sister like that…could they? She was shaken with doubt for a minute, then she caught a glimpse of the girl's face. She looked terrified. _Only a year older than I was when…_ Madeline shook her head and tried to focus on the trial again.

"But questions are all I have, Your Honor!" Phoenix exclaimed. "And as you may recall, I've caught murderers with these questions before!" Madeline heard her boss chuckle quietly at the other man. She gave a half-hearted smirk for his benefit.

On the other side of the courtroom, Phoenix's mind was racing. _Well, only once…_ he admitted inwardly.

The judge was silent for a moment, deliberating. It seemed to last an eternity. Then the gavel made contact with his desk. "Objection sustained. You may continue to question the witness." Phoenix let out a sigh of relief.

_Whew, that was so close. If he stopped me there, the trial would be over._

April spoke again. "Huh? What?" she whimpered. "So… what happens now?"

Phoenix's finger extended dramatically. "What happens now is you answer my question! How did you know it was a clock?"

"What…!" April sniveled. "Th-that's…" She seemed to recover herself, putting a finger to her chin and thinking hard. "…Because… I heard it?" She smiled again, her confidence returning. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I heard it say the time!"

Phoenix slammed his hands down before pointing again in triumph. This could be important. "So, you've been to the law offices of Fey and Co.!"

April's lip trembled. "N-n-no!" she squeaked pitifully. "Hey, I didn't say that! Why would I go there? I heard it from my hotel room. Hee hee!"

Madeline spoke up abruptly. "The law offices of Fey and Co., where the murder took place, are very close to the hotel," she said, her gaze down at a map in front of her. She looked up at the rest of the court. "She could easily have heard the clock!"

"Hmm," the judge muttered. "Well, Mr. Wright? Are you satisfied?"

Phoenix shook his head. "No, Your Honor!" _I can't give up now! _"I'm not satisfied because…" It was time. He had to think on his feet and there was no going back now. "Your Honor, members of the court. It is inconceivable that the clock in question rang!" He paused, thinking. Then he remembered the phone conversation. "That clock is missing its clockwork!" he exclaimed, surprising himself as much as everyone else. The gallery burst into excited chatting. The gavel banged three times, but the judge still had to raise his voice a little.

"H-how could you possibly…?" He trailed off in curiosity.

"Just have a look… As soon as you can!" Phoenix said, his eyes boring into Edgeworth, who obviously understood the hidden meaning, but kept his face blank. Madeline frowned at him.

The clock was quickly taken up to the judge's bench and the older man began to take it apart. "Oh!"

"See anything interesting, Your Honor?" Phoenix said in barely concealed triumph.

"It is as the defense says!" the judge exclaimed. "This clock is missing its clockwork! It's quite empty!" This caused the court to talk all the louder. "Mr. Wright!" the judge cried. "Would you care to explain to the court, the meaning of this?"

"It is as you can see," Phoenix said calmly. "The 'clock' was empty. It couldn't have rung!" He looked over toward April May, who was staring straight ahead. Her smile seemed to be pasted on and she was trembling with what seemed to be anger. "Therefore, this witness…" He paused for dramatic effect, while also trying to think of something to say. "Is a big, fat liar!" He groaned inwardly at the immaturity of that statement, but it seemed to get the point across.

"F-fat?" she screeched.

"Well, Miss May?" Phoenix asked. He finally had her!

"Tsk tsk." An irritating sound came from the other side of the courtroom. Phoenix looked over, confused. _You've gotta be kidding me! _"Quite a show you've put on for us, Mr. Wright," Edgeworth said, smirking. Realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. _He knew the clock was empty! Somehow… he knew! _"I'm afraid you've forgotten one thing, however," Edgeworth continued. "Indeed, the clock is empty. As you say… it can't ring." The prosecutor frowned. "However, we must ask: when was the clockwork removed?" He tapped a finger to the side of his head. "If it was after the witness heard the clock, then there is no contradiction!"

The judge's eyes grew large. "Hmm! That's true. That certainly is a possibility," he said. "The clock might have been emptied after she heard it."

"And that is exactly what happened, Your Honor!" Edgeworth announced to the court.

"Is that your famous intuition, Mr. Edgeworth?" Madeline murmured, laughing a little.

"No," he replied, a small smirk on his features. "It's logic." She nodded and focused on the proceedings again.

"Well, Mr. Wright?" the judge said. "Can you prove when the clockwork was removed?"

Edgeworth chuckled and shrugged, shaking his head. "Ho hoh! Impossible, of course…" he said, raising an eyebrow.

But Phoenix was confident, a smirk on his lips, ready for battle. "I have proof," he stated.

For a second, Edgeworth was shaken. "W-what!" But before he'd even finished his startled exclamation, his calm demeanor was back. Madeline raised an eyebrow at the defense attorney, clearly wondering how he was going to do this.

Phoenix couldn't resist a jibe at Edgeworth before he continued. "Wasn't it you who told me 'proof is everything'?" he queried. "Well, I was listening." He pointed directly at the prosecution. "And now I'll show you the 'proof' you like so much! The evidence that proves when the clockwork was removed is…" He dug around in his pocket for the evidence. "**TAKE THAT!**" He held out Maya's cell phone by the purple carrying strap for the court to see. "Take a look at this!"

"Hmm." The judge examined it. "Hmm. That's a very cute cell phone," he commented.

"Ooh hoo!" April jeered. "You have a girlie phone!"

"W-wait! Wait!" Phoenix pleaded. "This isn't my phone! Listen! This is the defendant's cell phone, and it contains a recording…" He slammed his hands on his desk. "A recording of a conversation she had with the victim on the day of the murder!" The listeners began to chat amongst themselves, raising the noise level to a dull roar. The gavel banged.

"Order! Order!"

"The defendant's cell phone!" came Edgeworth voice. He was furious, Phoenix could tell. It was Madeline's turn to have a composed expression, but there was a faint line between her eyebrows, showing that she was thinking hard. "Th-this wasn't brought to my attention," the prosecutor beside her muttered angrily. Madeline hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, trying to relax him a little bit.

"Perhaps Detective Gumshoe overlooked it?" Phoenix asked scathingly.

Edgeworth was grumbling under his breath, but Phoenix still heard what he said. "The good detective better remember that he's up for evaluation soon…" Madeline bit her lip nervously.

Phoenix, on the other hand, was gloating in his victory. _My heart goes out to you, Edgeworth. Not. _"Let's hear the conversation," he continued, turning up the volume as high as it would go on the cell phone, finding the part of the conversation relevant to the clock, and pushing the play button. The court was silent as the recording began, hanging onto every word.

*beep*

_**So you just want me to hold on to "The Thinker" for you, then?**_

**If you could. Ah… I should probably tell you, the clock isn't talking right now.**

_**Huh? It's not working? That's lame!**_

**I had to take the clockwork out, sorry.**

[Septmeber 5, 9:27 AM]

*beep*

The court was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was still processing this new information. "Your Honor, I think the recording makes it clear that the clockwork was already gone…" Phoenix said. The gallery jumped as his hands connected with his desk for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "And this was recorded in the morning, before the witness even arrived at her hotel!"

"Muh… muh… muh!" April said, no longer able to make coherent words.

"Well, Miss May? Would you care to explain this to the court?" Phoenix asked firmly. There was no way he was letting her squirm out this time. "Just how did you know that weapon was a clock!"

April was silent for a moment. Phoenix could tell she was thinking quickly. "W-well…!" she said, then her eyes lit up. "Well, isn't is o-obvious? I saw that clock before!" Her smile returned as she fluffed her pink hair. "Um… what store was that again? I-I go to so many!" There was still a tiny tremble in her voice, but she masked it with false confidence. Enough confidence to give the court another show, shaking her chest and winking. "Oops, I forgot!"

"So the witness had seen it before. That would make sense," the judge concluded. "Does the defense have any objections, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix thought for a moment, frowning. Then he remembered a conversation he had had with Larry about the very clock. "The witness claims she had 'seem it before.' But this directly contradicts a piece of evidence already submitted to the court!"

"Well then, let's see it," the judge said in interest. "Please produce this evidence that will prove the witness had not seen the clock before."

Phoenix pulled out the very clock itself and set it on the desk. "**TAKE THAT!"** he yelled, then smirked. "It's simple. This clock was never in any store, ever!"

April's lips twitched. "W-whaaat!" she squealed in anger.

"A friend of mine made that clock," Phoenix said, pointing to it. "Only two exist in the world. And the one that isn't here is in police custody!"

"I-impossible! Everything is sold in stores!" It was clear that April was beginning to crack.

"Miss May, I think it's high time you went shopping for a better excuse…?" Phoenix said, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmpf…" April grunted.

Phoenix put a hand to his chin, pretending to think. "Oh? Excuses not on sale today?" A snort came from across the room and Madeline flushed pink.

April lost it. She screamed and yelled and did all sorts of crazy stuff. Her heart buttons turned upside down and she threw her arms out, causing her chest to absolutely bounce. Finally, she glared daggers at everyone in the room, nose wrinkled and deep, angry lines between her eyebrows. "What's it to you, porcupine-head!" she screeched. "That stupid clock doesn't matter, okay! She did it! And she should die for it! Die!" The court broke into surprised chatter, with a slight undertone of fear.

"W-w-whoa! Let's not get ahead of ourselves," the judge said slowly, his eyes wide. He looked very, very nervous. "T-this is a court of law, and the witness will remain calm!"

"Hrrrgh… hrrrh… hrrr… heh. Oh?" April quickly plastered on her fake smile, recovering a little self-control. "Oh! Oh? Oh hoh ho! S-silly me!" She grunted again, trying to keep a hold of herself. "Did I, um, like… lose it?" she asked innocently. "I guess I did. Tee-hee!" She shook her assets and winked seductively again, but no one seemed to be paying attention.

_S-scary… _Phoenix thought, sweating.

"Miss May, let me ask," the judge said, looking at her. "Tell me, how did you know the weapon was a clock?" April glared angrily over to the side, directly at Phoenix, and remained silent. "Hmm…" the judge said, shaking his head, remorsefully. "Oh dear. Does the defense have an opinion on this… behavior?"

_Okay, this is it!_ Phoenix thought determinedly. "Yes, Your Honor. Allow me to explain how I see the truth of the matter." He continued by addressing the witness. "Miss April May, you knew the weapon was a clock because…" _Ok, time for my secret weapon! _"The witness had never held the clock in her hand! However, she had heard that it was a clock!"

"She "heard"…?" the judge said curiously.

"That is correct, Your Honor," Phoenix confirmed. "There is no other way she could have known "The Thinker" was a clock!" His hands met the desk yet again, and he rubbed his hands for a second. They were starting to hurt from all this desk slamming. "And I can show you the proof!"

"Well, this is interesting," said the judge conversationally. "Let's see it, then. Show me evidence proving that the witness had "heard" the murder weapon was a clock."

_It's time. _"**TAKE THAT!**" He put the wiretap on the desk. "Have a look at this."

"Ah! Oooh! Th-that! Eh heh…" She'd begun to lose it again but had quickly regained control before it took over.

"I found this in Miss May's room," Phoenix said, grinning. The crowd went wild. The judge had to bang his gavel three times.

Mr. Wright! Please explain to the court what this is!" he exclaimed.

"Miss April May? You were tapping the victim, Ms. Mia Fey's phone, were you not?"

"Oooh. Oooh!" April's eye grew fiery and she looked lost for words.

**OBJECTION!** Your Honor, this is irrelevant!" Edgeworth shouted.

"I'm not entirely sure that it is. Objection overruled," the judge said firmly. "It troubles me that our witness was is possession of a wiretap."

"This is outrageous! Does the defense truly claim that the witness was tapping her phone?" Edgeworth said, slamming a hand on his desk and glaring at Phoenix.

The other man responded with a foolish grin. "Absolutely!"

"Even if that was the case (which it's not) you still have to prove one thing! Did the victim ever say that the weapon was a clock on the phone?" His hand hit the desk. "Can you prove that? I THINK NOT!" He was practically yelling now.

"Oh yeah? I THINK I CAN!" He felt distinctly childish again. "It's simple!"

"WHAAAAT!" Edgeworth looked like he was in shock.

Phoenix's stinging hands hit the desk yet again. "Here's my proof. The proof that the victim said, on the phone, that the weapon was a clock is…" He pulled out the cell phone again. "**TAKE THAT!** I present the defendant's cell phone."

"Yes, we've seen that," the judge said, frowning.

"Listen once more to the conversation between the defendant and the victim." He pushed the button and the familiar voices rang through the courtroom.

*beep*

_**Mia! What's up? You haven't called in a while.**_

**Well, actually, there's something I want you to hold on to for me.**

_**Again? What's it this time?**_

**It's… a clock. It's made to look like that statue, "The Thinker." And it tells you the time!**

Phoenix paused the recording. "Miss April May! You used a wiretap to listen to this conversation! That's how you knew "The Thinker" was a clock!" He slammed his hands down and immediately lifted them back up, trying not to cry out in pain. He really had to stop doing that. "Am I wrong!"

"I… I…" April stammered.

"**OBJECTION!** Your Honor, this is ridiculous!" Edgeworth protested.

"Your Honor, look at the witness's face? Does she seem amused to you?" Phoenix said, pointing at April May. "The defense demands an answer."

"La… laaa… Irrrrgf!" April seemed to be cracking.

"Witness, answer the question. Did you tap her phone?" The judge looked at the witness, his eyebrows wrinkled.

April was silent, glaring at Phoenix.

"Miss May!" the judge said sternly, glaring at April May.

"Shut up! All of you! You have no right to speak to me that way!" she screamed. Then she turned to Phoenix, eyes burning. "You… you LAWYER!"

Everyone was dead silent, staring at the witness like she had two heads. She seemed to realize it, for she quickly recomposed herself. "I-it's no fair! All of you g-ganging up on me like that…" she sniffled. "Oh, so I'm the bad girl, is that it? Is that it! Uh.. uh… uwaahh!" Big tears began pouring out of her eyes, but no one paid any mind to that. _That did it! _Phoenix thought triumphantly. _The court's seen the real Miaa April May now! Now to deal the final blow!_

"Why did you tap her phone?" Phoenix asked. April was quiet, blinking back false tears. Phoenix glared at the witness, almost slamming his hands on his desk but stopping himself just in time. "Answer the question!"

"Do I have to?" April said, a slightly whiny tone in her voice. "Isn't this a murder trial? Isn't tippity-tapping er… irrelevant?"

_Gah!_ Phoenix groaned inwardly in frustration. _She's saying exactly what Edgeworth wants her to say. _"Miss May," he interrupted, trying to keep the trial moving in his favor. "You were tapping the victim's phone! I hardly call that 'irrelevant'!" The court burst into hushed murmurs of agreement.

"While this court does not condone the defense's tone of speech," the judge said, giving Phoenix a disapproving stare. "He has a point. Well, Miss May?" he questioned. "do you have an explanation for the court? Can you prove you had nothing to do with this murder, even though you tapped her phone?"

_Hah! I'd like to see her pull THAT off!_ A small smirk crossed the attorney's features. Finally things were going his way.

"Mr. Lawyer." April's annoying voice interrupted his happy dance in his head. "I saw that evil, evil grin! You were probably thinking 'I'd like to see her pull THAT off,' weren't you?" Her tone was pleasant, but her glare was piercing.

_Damn… she's good. _

"Well, you're not the first man who's thought that!" she said suggestively, raising a perfect eyebrow. "And of course… I can, and will!"

"You can't be serious! No way!" That popped out of Phoenix's mouth before he could stop it.

"Way, I say! Way!" Her voice grew soft and dangerous. "Oh, and I assure you I'm serious, Mr. Lawyer! Hmph!" She grinned cockily, looking around the courtroom. "Okay? So, the killing happened around 9:00 at night?" She put a finger to her chin, pushing her lip out in a pout. "Why, that's just when I was getting room service from that sweet bellboy…"

"R-room service!" Phoenix stammered. He was in utter shock.

"Ice coffee, I believe it was?" she replied innocently, smiling sweetly. "Ice coffee? You know? Like normal coffee, but COLD." Phoenix wondered whether she thought the court was stupid. Or maybe she just thought HE was stupid. She was continuing her pointless rant on the stand. "If you don't drink it quick, the ice melts and then you have…" She paused, seemingly for effect. "Regular cold coffee."

"I-ice coffee…!" It wasn't the concept of the cold, delicious drink that Phoenix was having a hard time wrapping his mind around; it was the perfectly timed alibi.

She offered another shake and wink, laughing like she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Think I'm making this up? Ask the bellboy!"

Edgeworth quickly took advantage of the situation. "Ergo, the witness was not on the scene at the time of the murder!" he concluded, bowing.

Phoenix had a quiet freak-out in the corner while the court buzzed. The judge banging his gavel, his expression rather confused.

"So, where does that leave us…?" he asked, totally lost.

"It is my great displeasure to inform you that the witness appears to have been tapping the victim's phone," Edgeworth said slowly, as though explaining something to a small child. His hand hit his desk. "However! That is a separate crime, with no bearing on this case whatsoever!" he insisted. "Her testimony stands! She saw the defendant, Maya Fey, commit murder!

_No! They're going to just let her walk away! _Desperation rose inside the blue-suited attorney like a tidal wave. _There's no way I can win this unless I tie Miss May to the murder somehow…_

"Well, does the defense have anything to say?" the judge asked. He looked eager to wrap things up.

"Um, well…" he stuttered. _Come on, think of something!_ Then he got a sudden flash of inspiration. "The defense would like to call the hotel bellboy as a witness! There's something suspicious there, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it!"

"I think you've sunken quite low enough already," April piped up snottily from the stand.

"**OBJECTION!** I object to calling the bellboy!" Edgeworth yelled. Phoenix would've thought that was obvious from the loud objection he began the sentence with, but he said nothing about that.

"W-why? What's your reason?" Phoenix said impatiently.

"Because I hold that the wiretapping had nothing to do with the killing!" Edgeworth asserted. Madeline nodded from next to him. Phoenix could hardly believe it and didn't even have time for a clever retort before Edgeworth continued. "However…" he began. "If you agree to one condition, I'll consent to calling the witness."

"Condition…?" Phoenix asked warily. He had no idea what the prosecutor was planning.

"If Miss April May's alibi is not called into question after you examine the bellboy, then you will recognize that Miss April May was not the killer, thus she is innocent!" Phoenix nodded slowly, not seeing why this was a big sacrifice on his part. That was obvious, wasn't it?

"Don't you see what that means, Mr. Wright?" Madeline asked, raising an eyebrow. "Therefore, you must accept the verdict of 'guilty' for Ms. Maya Fey!"

"That is my condition," Edgeworth finished. Phoenix felt that Edgeworth had a strong urge to say 'take it or leave it', but was holding back. Then the full weight of the situation hit him. _What…! I'd better find something suspicious in that bellboy's testimony… Otherwise, Maya will be declared 'guilty' on the spot! What should I do…?_

In all honesty, Phoenix could see that he really had no other option but to accept the condition. _Alright! I've got nothing to lose!_ he tried to think positively, then his realistic side won over. _Except for… well, everything! _"Understood. I accept your condition," he said with as much bravado as he could muster at the current moment.

"Hmph. Fool…" Edgeworth shrugged and chuckled a little. "You fell right into my trap!"

_Uh-oh!_ Phoenix stammered pointlessly before the gavel banged.

"Very well!" the judge said. nodding to the bailiff, who left the room to summon the bellboy. "The court calls the hotel bellboy to the stand!"

* * *

><p>A brief 10 minute recess was called so Edgeworth could meet with the witness. Madeline was left on her own, wandering the halls of the courthouse aimlessly yet again. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going, so she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised when she bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry," she said absently.<p>

"Yeah, watch where you're going," an annoying, VERY FAMILIAR voice said.

"You!" Madeline said in irritation.

"Ah, you were in the courtroom beside that incredibly handsome man in the red suit, no?" April May said, winking and shaking her stuff. "Tell me, is he single?"

Madeline felt her face color a little. "He's not interested in women like you!" she snapped, trying to push past the pink-haired woman, but she held out a hand.

"Oh please. All men are interested in women like me!" She laughed, a cruel sound echoing against the walls. "I mean, if they weren't, what would they be interested in? Women like you?"

It was perfect practice for keeping her face blank. Madeline lifted her chin and marched back toward the prosecution lobby, determined not to let her feelings show. Before she entered, she paused at the door. "Don't go far," she said, smiling sweetly, a hint of sarcasm coloring her words. "You're still a suspect."

She left April spluttering in the hall and entered quietly, closing the door. She arrived just in time to hear her boss say, "I'm going to ask you not to mention that unless specifically asked, if you don't mind."

"Sure, Mr. Edgeworth," the other man said. He was obviously the bellboy, as he was in a fancy uniform and carrying a tea set.

"Sir," she said hesitantly. He turned to her.

"Miss Brent," he replied. "Is it time to reconvene?"

"Should be," she said, looking toward the door to the courtroom. Right on cue, a bailiff poking his head out and beckoned to them. He silently gestured for her to go back in first, and she smiled shyly and headed in. He looked after her. Truth be told, he was a little worried about her after the whole April May incident, but he put it out of his mind. He had a trial to win.


	8. Chapter 8: Turnabout Sisters Part 8

**What! Two chapters in one day? Diana has gone crazy, especially when she should be studying for finals. But it's ok! I'll figure it out. So, this is the last chapter of Days for now, I know, how sad! *Passes tissues* But don't worry! It'll be back after I finish the new project. Just a word of advice, if you have not heard of GameCola, go look them up. They're as Phoenix Wright obssessed as I'm sure you are, and you'll get hooked on their hilariously funny podcasts! I was actually on one! Search Podcast 50, hour 8! Anyways, my next story will have them, and myself, as the protagonists, so look out for that! Should be appearing sometime this week! Ok, well, enjoy this chapter! Review as always and thanks for being the super amazing readers that you are! I love each and every one of you!**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>"Is everyone ready to eat?" Phoenix asked.<p>

"Do you even have to ask?" Maya replied excitedly. "What're we having?"

"I just got a bunch of stuff," said Phoenix. "Including your burgers, Maya."

Maya wrapped her arms around the man and ran toward the table of food. Phoenix looked fondly after her. Madeline snorted. "And they call us the lovebirds," she whispered to Miles, who was also watching the couple.

"Wright should get his act together," he muttered back. Madeline laughed.

"And I'm sure he had to tell you the same thing before…" she trailed off, looking at him suggestively.

"Actually, no," the prosecutor replied, getting up and leading her toward the food. "I figured you out all on my own." She smacked his arm playfully as the rest of the party settled down, food in hand.

"Now, where was I?" Phoenix asked, scratching his head.

"The part with the bellboy, pal," Gumshoe said eagerly.

"Ah, yes. Ok, here we go."

* * *

><p>"I believe we're ready for the witness to testify," said Edgeworth upon re-entering the courtroom.<p>

"He certainly does look like a bellboy," Madeline said, grinning.

"Yes, miss," replied the bellboy, directing a bow in her direction. "I received the prosecution's summons in the middle of work, sir. I'm happy to be of service."

"That tea set looks rather heavy, so without further ado, the witness may begin his testimony," the judge said quickly. Phoenix wondered why the judge didn't just tell the bellboy to put the tea set down, but he put that out of his mind for the moment, because the testimony was beginning.

"Very good, sir!"

**Witness Testimony**

**-Miss May's Room Service—**

**I am the head bellboy at the fine Gatewater Hotel, in business for four generations!**

**I believe I received a call after 8:00 in the evening from our guest, Miss May.**

**She asked for an ice coffee to be brought to her at 9:00 on the dot, sir.**

**I brought it to her at precisely the requested time, of course.**

**And I delivered the ice coffee to our guest Miss May, herself.**

There was a slight pause before everyone registered that the testimony was over. "I see," the judge said, nodding. "The defense may begin its cross-examination."

Phoenix hadn't been paying attention, lost in thought. He jumped as he heard those words. "R-right! I'm ready!" _I hope... _He let out a barely audible sigh. _This is it… If I can't prove Miss May was involved with the murder now… _He felt his stomach drop. _Maya will be finished!_

**Cross Examination**

**-Miss May's Room Service—**

**I am the head bellboy at the fine Gatewater Hotel, in business for four generations!**

**I believe I received a call after 8:00 in the evening from our guest, Miss May.**

**She asked for an ice coffee to be brought to her at 9:00 on the dot, sir!**

"**HOLD IT!** 9:00 'on the dot,' you say?" Phoenix asked, not quite sure where he was going with this.

"Yes. I confirmed that detail several times," the bellboy responded politely. "She was watching a program on the TV, and wished to drink after she finished, sir."

_9:00… the time of the murder!_ Phoenix thought, frowning.

**I brought it to her at precisely the requested time, of course.**

"**HOLD IT! **'Precisely' 9:00, then?"

"Precisely, exactly, and most definitely, sir. 9:00 PM," the bellboy said in his prim, refined manner.

"How can you be so sure!" Phoenix asked incredulously.

"Miss May was quite insistent that it be brought then," the bellboy replied. Then his voice went up practically a whole octave as he imitated Miss May. "'Oh, bellboy? Tee hee! I'd like, like, ice coffee at exactly 9:00!'" He coughed and his voice returned to normal. "Something like that, sir. Therefore, I knocked on her door at the crack of 9:00, sir."

Phoenix had to pause for a second after that display, but even he had to admit that the bellboy had gotten Miss May's mannerisms exactly right. Still, it couldn't stop him from wondering. _Why would she be so particular about the time?_

**And I delivered the ice coffee to our guest Miss May, herself.**

"**HOLD IT!**" His hands, which had slightly recovered during the recess, hit the desk and he yelled, "You are sure it was Miss April May herself?"

"Ab-SO-lutely, sir," the bellboy said enthusiastically.

"'Ab-SO-lutely'…?" Phoenix muttered in confusion.

"Yes, sir. As in 'so very absolutely,' sir. It's an endearing mannerism of mine," the bellboy replied, smiling.

"How come you're so very certain!" Phoenix demanded, pointing dramatically at the bellboy. He was not at all prepared for the reaction. The bellboy turned bright pink, lifting the hand that wasn't holding the tea set flew to his mouth and he smiled awkwardly.

"Well, when I brought the room service, sir…" He blushed even harder, if possible. "S-she… the guest, sir, favored me w-with a, um, an 'embrasser,' sir."

Phoenix was lost for words. He managed to stammer out, "'Embrasser'! Is that French for 'embrace'?"

"It's French for 'kiss,' sir." The courtroom was dead silent, everyone picturing this event. The bellboy seemed to realize. "But not a French kiss, sir!" he said desperately. "More like a peck on the cheek."

"Wh-why would she have done that?" Phoenix muttered in utter confusion.

Apparently the bellboy overheard, for he decided to offer his own opinion. "I believe, perhaps, she was momentarily swayed by my prim demeanor, sir," he said sheepishly. His smile grew a little wider. "It was a moment I shall never, ever, forget, sir."

_Sounds pretty fishy to me… I think our Miss May was up to something and wanted the bellboy to remember her! _That's what Phoenix thought anyway, but he couldn't say that out loud. After all, he had no proof. "It's no good!" he murmured, beginning to sweat nervously. _There's nothing there! Is… is that it?_

Edgeworth shook his head in fake pity. "Tsk tsk," he said. "Finally, you understand. This bellboy has absolutely no reason to lie! Now…" he trailed off, raising an eyebrow, then continued. "If you have any decency, you will end this rather tedious cross-examination here!"

The judge nodded in agreement. "Hmm. It was a bit tedious," he agreed. Phoenix's mouth fell open. Why was everyone ganging up on him? "The witness may leave the stand."

_I can't let this happen… can I? _"W-wait! Please wait!" he cried desperately.

"Yes?" the judge said in surprise. "Does the defense have something to add?"

"One last question… let me ask one last question!" he yelled urgently.

"**OBJECTION!** Your Honor, I must object." Phoenix wished he wouldn't state the obvious so much; really, when you start your sentence with objection… "This charade of justice has gone on long enough!"

"Now, now, Mr. Edgeworth," the judge scolded. He turned to the blue-suited lawyer. "Alright Mr. Wright. I'll give you one more question, that's all."

_Okay. This is really it, now. This is my last chance! What do I ask him about…_ He was drawing a blank, so he said the first think that flashed into his mind. "Bed… bed making!" He inwardly face-palmed, but pushed forward. "Tell me about making beds that day," he said slowly.

"I was wondering what you were going to ask, but bed making? A new low!" Edgeworth jeered, and a scathing smile lit up even Madeline's face.

"Now, now, Mr. Edgeworth," the judge repeated, his eyes wide. "The witness will answer the defense's question."

"Yes, well, it was quite like any other day's bed making," the bellboy began in confusion. "I changed the sheets, the pillowcases, and then I proceeded to make the bed. I had to bring pillows for two, of course, but they're quite light, you see."

Madeline's eyes widened. What did he just say? Phoenix, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice.

"I see. Thank you," he said. Then it hit him. _Pillows… for two!_ He banged his hands down to regain the court's attention. "Bellboy! What did you just say?"

"Eh! Ah, yes, pillows are light… sir?" The bellboy now looked even more befuddled then he had originally been.

"Bellboy! Tell us the truth now!" His voice rose again. "Was someone else staying in Miss May's room?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Edgeworth banged his hand on his desk, his face looking slightly angry now. "I object! That was… objectionable!" Madeline gave him an odd look and Phoenix really wanted to say something about not stating the obvious, but he held back.

The judge shook his head while also giving Edgeworth a strange look. "Objection overruled. The witness will answer the question," he said firmly.

The bellboy's face was pink again as he struggled for words. "Er… yes, I see," he said, starting to sweat a little.

"Why did you not mention this in your testimony!" Phoenix demanded angrily.

"W-well, sir, you er… you didn't ask!" the bellboy defended himself.

_Nice try!_ "That's the sort of thing you're supposed to mention!" Phoenix exclaimed in frustration. Was this guy for real?

"Ah, yes, quite. Indeed…" said the bellboy in embarrassment. "It was the, er, good barrister there, Mr. Edgeworth, who…" Madeline's face paled. No… no… he wouldn't!

On the other side, Phoenix was slow on the uptake and had only just now figured out what the bellboy meant.

"He asked me not to mention it if I wasn't specifically asked, sir," the bellboy admitted sheepishly.

"Oof!" Edgeworth looked like he was punched in the stomach. "Y-you fool!"

Phoenix couldn't hold back a grin of triumph. "I've done it… I've won!" he muttered happily, making sure no one could hear him. He turned and gave Maya a thumbs-up. She grinned shakily back. He turned back to the court. "Miss April May checked into a twin room… with a man. Correct?"

"How do you know it wasn't a woman?" Madeline asked, genuinely curious.

"I… I just… we're saying it's a man, alright?" Phoenix retorted, frowning. Madeline looked for a nod of approval from her boss (after all, she had just poked a tiny hole in the defense's argument), but he still seemed to be recovering from being discovered. She sighed.

"Actually, it was a man, miss," the bellboy replied.

"Then, when you brought them room service, you didn't see that man in the room…?" Phoenix said, trying to establish this point.

"That's right, sir," the bellboy said, barely audible.

"Hmm…" the judge said slowly, thinking.

"Your Honor!" Phoenix said loudly. "We have just learned of another person involved who may have been the murderer! In this new light, I hold that it's impossible to judge the defendant. You agree, Mr. Edgeworth? Miss Brent?"

"Who!" Edgeworth yelled in fury. "Who is this 'other person'!"

"Simple, it was the man who checked in with Miss May!" Frankly, Phoenix thought it was obvious. Edgeworth grunted again. "Your Honor! As has been previously revealed, Miss April May was tapping the victim's phone. Yet Miss May herself has an alibi at the time of the murder." He hit the desk again, noticing the new growing pain in his hands. "However, that does not clear the man that was with her! The bellboy saw no one in the room at the time of the murder!"

"M-my, what a convenient little setup… but it's too late…" Edgeworth said angrily.

"'Too late'?" Phoenix said in confusion. "I suppose you'd like it if it was too late, wouldn't you…" He pointed at Edgeworth. "After all, it was you who hid the presence of the other man from the court!"

"Upstart… amateur…" Edgeworth muttered under his breath, looking like he was really starting to lose his patience. "T-these accusations are… ludicrous!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Enough!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the courtroom. "The court acknowledges the defense's argument. I expect the prosecution and the defense to look into this matter fully! Am I understood?" It was rare to hear the judge sound so scary.

"Yes… Your Honor," muttered Edgeworth, looking like every word was causing him physical pain.

"That is all today for the trial of Maya Fey. Court is adjourned." The gavel banged and the court dispersed, going their own separate ways, the exciting events of the trial on everyone's lips.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Edgeworth?"<p>

"How could I have been so careless?"

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir?"

"So stupid…so irresponsible!"

"Sir!"

He finally focused on her. Madeline blushed a little; she hadn't meant to yell at him.

"Miss Brent, you are dismissed for the day."

"But sir, there's still investigating to do, or I'm sure there's something I can do at the office-"

"It's alright, Miss Brent. I'll see you here again tomorrow." He wasn't looking at her anymore. Madeline could tell that what had happened in the courtroom had disturbed him.

"Okay," she said softly. "But sir? Just remember that no matter what happens, I'm with you, okay?"

He nodded blankly, and Madeline (knowing she wouldn't get much else out of him) excused herself. She had just reached the doors when he spoke.

"Miss Brent?"

She turned around. "Yes, sir?"

"You did a good job today."

She grinned. "Thank you, sir." And then she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9: Turnabout Sisters Part 9

**A/N: Hey guys, I know this is a really short chapter but I just had to post today. Today is a historic day... well, kind of. If you haven't already checked Court Records today, DO IT! ACE ATTORNEY 5 INFO! I won't spoil it though, I'll let you discover it for yourselves. Put your thoughts in the review, I've been getting mixed opinions and would like to hear what you guys think. And I've made the decision that I'm really only going to do thos adorable opening sequences to chapters when there's a new character to be introduced, but I'll make them long when I do so. Thanks, and don't forget to review!**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p><em><strong>September 7, 2:24 PM<strong>_

_**District Court**_

_**Defendant Lobby No. 1**_

Phoenix was sitting on the couch in the lobby, lost in thought. The trial had taken quite an unexpected turn, even by his standards. He jumped to his feet in surprise as Maya suddenly appeared in front of him, accompanied by a bailiff.

"Mr. Wright!" she said happily, pressing her hands together. "You were amazing in there!"

"R-really?" Phoenix stuttered, genuinely surprised.

Maya nodded enthusiastically. "I think I might be your newest fan!" she squealed excitedly.

Phoenix chuckled nervously, trying to play it cool. "Oh, I was just 'doing my job' you know… heh heh." He ran his hand through his spikes, attempting to look impressive, but not succeeding.

Maya put her chin in her hand, seemingly contemplating something else. "Then again," she said slowly, "that other attorney team was pretty cool, too…"

"Huh?" Phoenix said, eyes wide and pitiful.

Maya continued, completely oblivious. "That face of his! With his eyes wide, and trembling lips! It spent shivers up my spine! And that assistant of his, she really impressed me, too!"

Phoenix frowned, pouting just a little bit. "Hmm… If you say so," he muttered half-heartedly, cutting her off before she could admire the prosecutor any more.

"So, what happens with me?" Maya asked cheerfully. "Do I get to go home now?"

"Well, no," Phoenix told her. Maya looked surprised. Apparently she thought that she'd been declared not guilty. "I don't think so. Not yet," he continued, trying to sound hopeful.

Maya looked at the floor, frowning. "Oh…" she murmured. "I see."

Phoenix could tell that his words had upset her, so he decided to attempt to cheer her up a little. "But I got a great lead in today's trial!" he said optimistically.

"A 'lead'?" Maya asked in confusion. The word was foreign to her.

"That man with Miss May! He's the key!" the attorney reminded her patiently.

"Oh! I get it!" Maya replied, biting her lip in thought. Then her expression changed to anger. "What happened to Miss May after that, anyway?" Clearly, Maya was thinking that April had gotten to go home.

Phoenix smirked. "I heard the arrested her. I guess she's learning that her charms won't work everywhere," he said smugly. Maya looked a little surprised at his tone. "She's probably at the detention center now. I may have to go down there later," he continued, sighing. "Anyway, this case is far from closed."

Maya's fists clenched in front of her face, looking determined. "Yes, sir!" she responded enthusiastically.

"I'm going to find out more about this man," Phoenix told her.

"Do you think he was the one who…?" Maya trailed off uncertainly.

"Maybe so," Phoenix replied. Maya looked downcast again, blinking sadly at the floor.

"Sis…" she murmured, her hands twisting together.

"Don't worry, I'll find him by tomorrow. I promise," Phoenix said firmly. It was hard to see her this heartbroken.

She perked up, regaining that determined air. "I'm counting on you!" she said as the bailiff led her away. Phoenix collapsed back on the couch as a different bailiff appeared in the lobby, asking if he needed anything.

_I asked for a full record of April May's testimony, _Phoenix reflected as he left the courthouse, holding a file folder in his hand. He took the steps two at a time. _I thought it might come in handy during the trial tomorrow._ He paused at the bottom of the courthouse steps, sitting down abruptly and opening the folder, looking through the few papers inside. _But now that I have it, I'm not so sure. Most of her testimony was all lies…_ he thought as he pulled out a pen and began crossing out bits he knew were false. _In fact, there's only one part that got left on the record, _he realized as he finished, looking at the one circled statement.

**May Testimony added to the Court Record.**

_I don't know how much good this will do me at all, now._ He sighed and stood up, putting the folder under his arm. _Anyway, time to hit the pavement and do some investigating! Maya doesn't belong in that detention center, and it's up to me to get her free!_

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10: Turnabout Sisters Part 10

**A/N: I totally had to post this today, as today is September 7, and this chapter takes place on September 7, no way! Plus the news of Ace Attorney 5 just keeps getting better! Western release, woo hoo! Well, I think that's about it! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>"Nick, I'm still hungry!" Maya moaned. She was curled up on the couch next to Phoenix. The remains of two burgers, a bag of chips, and many more unidentifiable things sat on the table in front of her.<p>

"Some things never change," Edgeworth whispered to Madeline, who giggled.

"So wait, what happens now?" Larry asked. He finally looked engaged in the story.

"Well, I went to question Miss May at the detention center…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>September 7, 3:11 PM<strong>_

_**Detention Center**_

_**Visitor's Room**_

April May practically skipped into the Visitor's Room, fluffing her pink hair. She didn't look fazed one bit. "Well hello!" she said, looking at him, but not really seeing him. "I didn't expect anyone to visit me in such a dank place as this… It's really quite… moving."

Phoenix stifled a laugh. As he did so, her eyes snapped into focus on his face and her face became furious. "Not!" Phoenix flinched. So it was all an act. Perhaps she wasn't as brainless as she seemed. "You stinking lawyer! I hope you die!" April slammed her hand on the metal counter in front of her. "Have you come to laugh? Yes, laugh at the fallen Miss May!" she screeched.

_She's losing it… _"No, not really, there's something I wanted to ask," he replied calmly.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing I want to BE asked," April replied snootily, her nose crinkled in anger. "Haven't you done enough questioning, you…!" She seemed to be at a loss for words. Then her face lit up. "Spiky-head!"

_Here we go again… _Phoenix thought wearily. "Please, you're scaring the security guard," he told her, gesturing to the guard, who was indeed looking a little unnerved.

She was silent, glaring at him. Then she abruptly changed tactics. "So? What is it you wish to ask of me, then? Hmm?"

_For starters, how did you get to be so totally whacked!? _Phoenix decided to get right to the point. No sense in wasting time. "About the man who stayed with you in your hotel room…" He left a pause, intending for her to say something. She said nothing, blinking at him. "Can you tell me about him?" Phoenix prompted her. "Where is he? C'mon…" he pleaded.

April looked at him for a second, and Phoenix's hopes soared. _Maybe…_ "No way, Jose." _Darn… Hmm.. maybe if I had something to get her to talk…_ "Why did you place a wiretap on Mia's phone?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Aww, when you say it like that it sounds so.. cold. So criminal!" April pouted.

"Um… tapping people's phones is a crime, Miss May," Phoenix reminded her.

"Oh, and I suppose you learned that in Lawyer School, hmm?" she mocked him, raising an eyebrow. "Creep!" she hissed.

_This woman is impossible to talk to…_ "Say…" Phoenix said, unable to hold the question in any longer. "Why are you so… angry? I mean, you don't look like a bad person…" He quickly realized that he said the wrong thing as April's eye began to twitch again.

"Ooh, that does it! Bottom-feeding, scum-sucking lawyer!" she shrieked angrily.

"B-bottom…?" Phoenix stammered, unable not to think of his horrible word choice during his inner monologue earlier. _I can't tell, does she have a thing against lawyers… or just against me?_ he wondered.

Realizing by her angry glare that he wouldn't get anything else out of Miss May, he decided to head out to the Gatewater Hotel to find out more about the mysterious man.

_**September 7**_

_**Gatewater Hotel**_

_**Room 303**_

Phoenix stepped inside the hotel room, secretly celebrating that he had managed to sneak up here undetected.

"Ah, welcome, sir!" The lawyer jumped a mile high as the bellboy turned from the window, shifting the ever-present tray with the tea set on it. "Quite the performance today, if I do say so myself."

"Oh, um, thanks," Phoenix replied uncertainly. "Sorry for putting you on the spot like that."

"No, no, not at all, sir!" the bellboy responded enthusiastically. "Your efforts today can only help the Gatewater's 'rep,' as they say."

"Huh? 'Rep'?" Phoenix asked in confusion.

"Yes!" the bellboy said triumphantly, grinning. "Our reputation will swell as the hotel where the murderer used a wiretap!" His expression changed to a thoughtful one. "We can charge a premium for the room, of course. It will be great for business, sir!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Phoenix said desperately, trying to stop the bellboy's excited rant. "Miss May hasn't been charged with murder."

But the bellboy didn't seem to hear him. "I, too, will become famous!" His eyes became unfocused and he seemed to see a near future as he gazed off into the distance. "'The Bellboy who brought the murderer ice coffee'…!" he murmured to himself.

_Why do I feel like we're both stuck in the same bad dream… _Phoenix thought bitterly.

"So!" the bellboy said suddenly, shaking the attorney out of his thoughts. "You are our honored guest. Please let me know if there is anything I can bring you!"

"About Miss May…" Phoenix began.

"Oh, her? Sir, not to boast but I knew the moment I saw her…" Phoenix was lost as he waited for the bellboy to continue. "'She'd do it!' I said!"

_Do WHAT?! _Phoenix thought indignantly. _I'm starting to think the most suspicious person here is this guy!_ Changing the topic seemed like a good course of action here. "I wanted to ask you about the man who was with Miss May…?"

"Ah, yes… He struck me as a real 'Lady Killer,' if you'll pardon the expression." Phoenix's mouth fell open. _What?! _"I knew it from the moment I saw him, sir," the bellboy continued obliviously. "He and I are of the same ilk. We both carry the scent of… danger." He raised an eyebrow, apparently trying to look dangerous and alluring, but the tea tray ruined the effect a bit.

_There we are in total agreement, Mr. Psycho Bellboy._

"If you had a photo of that man, I'm quite sure I could identify him."

_A photo. Hmm… _Phoenix though absently. "Could you tell me about this hotel?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" Phoenix was taken aback by the other man's enthusiasm. "And on that subject, I have an excellent idea, sir!" By this point, Phoenix was questioning if he even wanted to hear it. "Currently, this hotel is known as the 'Gatewater.'"

_You don't say._

"I propose that we add a subtitle!" the bellboy said dramatically.

"A subtitle!?" Phoenix responded incredulously. He'd expected something like this, but…

"Something like this…

The Gatewater Hotel

-Murder Manor—

"Well? What do you think?" the bellboy asked excitedly.

"Um… sounds great," Phoenix said nervously. _Whatever floats your tea set… _He couldn't think of anything else to talk to the bellboy about, so it seemed logical to head to Grossberg's office. Maybe he could offer some insight on this entire situation.

_**September 7**_

_**Grossberg Law Offices**_

_Huh. Looks like Grossberg is out today… again, _Phoenix thought as he entered the office. _Maybe he's avoiding me for some reason? _Phoenix dismissed that thought as silly. Something immediately struck him as odd, however. He walked over to a strangely colored spot on the wall (a large rectangle) and stood in front of it, hand rubbing his chin. Then it hit him.

"Wait a second… Wasn't there a giant painting hanging on that wall…?" he muttered. "Yeah… yeah, it was a painting of…" _What exactly was it again?_ _Sunflowers?_ _Marvin Grossberg? Or maybe it was fishermen? _"Wasn't it?" he mumbled, straightening his tie uncertainly. "It wasn't a very memorable painting, anyhow." Still, something bothered him; wasn't Grossberg really passionate about that painting?

Phoenix attempted to casually walk by the desk, making for the door, but accidentally knocked some papers off the corner of the desk. He dropped to his knees, gathering them up quickly, sweating even though no one was there. He stopped abruptly as he noticed some other, smaller papers in the midst of the files. "What's this? Old photos? There are two lying here." The attorney examined them, flipping them over. "Something's been written in pencil on the backs," he noted. "'DL-6 Incident – Exhibit A,' 'DL-6 Incident – Exhibit B'…" he muttered, running his finger over the lightly written words. "Let's take a look at these…"

He looked at the 'Exhibit A' picture first. It was a picture of a woman with blunt cut black hair. She wasn't smiling, but her eyes looked somewhat cheerful. A simple collared shirt and sweater completed the look of wife and mother, but a happy one. "I'm sure I've seen this person somewhere…" he said quietly. "Perhaps I'll borrow this photo. I'm sure no one will miss just one little photo. And it might be a valuable clue… I'll take it for now."

**Photograph quietly added to the Court Record.**

Phoenix carefully fixed all the other papers, but the corner of the other photo peeked out at him. He couldn't just leave it alone. He carefully slipped it out from the papers. It was a picture of a man in a flamboyant pink suit and bright purple hair. His smile could be in a toothpaste ad, both large and phony. "Maybe I should switch it with the one I took?" he muttered to himself. "I think I'll swap them…" He wondered why he was talking to himself again as he slipped the other photo in his pocket. He really should break that habit.

**Photograph added to the Court Record.**

Phoenix suddenly looked at the picture of the man again. It was a long shot, but what if…? He quickly walked out of the office, making a loop back to his previous location.

_**September 7**_

_**Gatewater Hotel**_

_**Room 303**_

The bellboy was standing in virtually the same place that he'd been standing when Phoenix had left, which was more than a little creepy. The attorney pulled the photo out of his pocket and held it up. "Take a look at this photo."

The bellboy was quiet for a second, examining it. "That's him, Detective," he said.

Phoenix was surprised. _Really? I was right? _"Um… I'm the layer," he reminded the bellboy.

"Oh, I know that! I just wanted to say 'Detective' once. You know how it is," the other man replied.

_No. No I don't. _

"Without a doubt, that is the man who checked in with Miss April May," the bellboy said formally. "How about I write an affidavit swearing that that's him!"

"An affidavit?" Phoenix muttered in shock, still in awe that he'd gotten that lucky. _This guy is way too excited about this… _"Well, sure. Why not?" he told the bellboy.

"Yes!" the bellboy practically cheered. "I've always wanted to write an affidavit, sir. From hence forth I will be known as the 'bellboy who swore the affidavit'!"

"Just hurry up and write it," the attorney muttered grumpily.

**Bellboy's Affidavit added to the Court Record.**

_Not even Miss May can play dumb to this!_ he thought triumphantly.

_**September 7**_

_**Detention Center**_

_**Visitor's Room**_

"YOU AGAIN!?" came a screech as soon as Phoenix set foot inside the room. "Can't you take a hint and stay gone?"

Phoenix began to feel defensive. He didn't like having to take so much verbal abuse from this woman. "Hey, the only reason I'm back here is because YOU won't talk to me!"

"Oh, so it's MY fault now?" she retorted, pouting. "You don't just have spiky hair, you also have a spiky heart!"

Phoenix frowned. _That does it. When this case is done I'm shaving my head. _He pulled out the affidavit and took a deep breath before continuing. "Could you have a look at this?" he said, sliding the paper underneath the Plexiglas window.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The bellboy's affidavit!" Phoenix proclaimed. "He told us everything he saw. He told us about the man you checked in with. He told us who he was."

"…!" April's face grew angry again, vein in her eye jumping.

_Now I'm getting somewhere! _He calmed himself. _This is it, all or nothing! Time to do a little bluff. _"No use playing dumb!"_ If indeed, that's an act_, he thought ironically. "If you don't talk, I'm taking this photo to the press!" he practically yelled.

"Whaaaaat!?" April screamed, her fingers beginning to drum on the metal counter in front of her.

"Even though he should be a witness to murder, this man is in hiding," Phoenix continued. "I'm sure the press would have a field day with his reputation!"

"…!" April's glare was stony. "Ooooh! Fine! I'll talk!" she hissed. "You… you win, Lawyer."

_Yes! _Phoenix cheered in his head. _Man, that felt good! It's great to be alive!_

"Why are you pumping your fists in the air?" April growled.

Phoenix coughed uncomfortably. "Now, tell me about the man you were with."

"That man… He's myboss," April told him bluntly. "Redd White, the president of the information gathering conglomerate, Bluecorp."

_Redd… White? _The name sounded eerily familiar for some reason, but it eluded him, so he decided to let it drop. "'Information gathering?''

"Well… I suppose you could call them a detective agency," April said.

"Hmm…" Phoenix murmured. "So this is the man that was with you the night of the murder?"

April was quiet for a moment, then she spoke again. "I'm…" She trailed off, seemingly unsure. "I'm scared to talk. I don't want to end up like her!"

…_!_ Phoenix was shocked. Did April May really just admit that Redd White killed Mia? "It's okay, I'll just ask Mr. White himself," he told her. "Can you tell me where Bluecorp is located?"

April didn't speak, then she returned the affidavit with the address for Bluecorp scrawled on the back. Phoenix picked it up, grinning.

_Mr. Redd White, at last! Finally, a lead on this guy! If April May couldn't have done it, that leaves him! Time to take action!_

He wrote the address down in his notebook, then crumpled up the affidavit.

**Discarded the Bellboy's Affidavit.**

Phoenix got up without saying another word to April, and walked outside the detention center. He stopped outside the detention center and examined the address he'd written down. Time to head to Bluecorp.


	11. Chapter 11: Turnabout Sisters Part 11

**A/N: Ok, so people have been asking me how I feel about Ace Attorney 5. This is my stance, responding to a comment on GameCola about Shu Takumi** **and the lack of Maya, posted the day after all the news was officially released:**

**"Now that the news has sunk in and I can think rationally, I agree completely. Although Maya not being in the game will break my heart, what worries me more is the news that Shu Takumi is not fully involved. I also hear where you're coming from about Apollo, I too think it'll be awkward dealing with the differences in time, as well as the whole hobo thing. I mean, are classic characters such as Gumshoe, Larry, and *sniff* Edgeworth even going to make an appearance? We all know that Phoenix kind of fell of the face of the earth when he became a hobo, so it'll be interesting to see them jump over that hurdle.  
>And about yellow-coat girl, although she will never take the place of Maya, it will be interesting to see a new character develop. Heaven knows I know what that's like."<strong>

**That's my stance. I'm glad that Phoenix is making a comeback, but at the same time, I wouldn't mind seeing more of Apollo. And honestly, although it causes me a great deal of pain, Maya's story was fairly well wrapped up in T&T. Any more questions for me regarding this, leave them in a review or PM me, and I'll get to them in the next author's note in the next chapter, which should hopefully wrap up this section of investigation. Review!**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p><em><strong>September 7<strong>_

_**Bluecorp Inc.**_

_**CEO's Office**_

Phoenix was led into the office by a stern-looking, inappropriately dressed secretary, who left as quietly as she'd entered. He took a look around the room, frowning. _What's with the surreal décor…? _The desk was huge and golden, the legs formed out of grotesque human figures curled into balls. In the far corner, there was a statue of a man straining to hold up a globe with bright red letters spelling 'Bluecorp.' Several impressive looking trophies were displayed prominently in a case behind the statue, but upon closer inspection, the titles were not nearly as impressive. But the thing that stood out the most was a large painting hanging behind the desk. Phoenix stared at it for a second, thinking. _Haven't I seen this somewhere before?_

"Welcome!" Phoenix jumped a mile high as a voice came from the doorway. "Please furnish me with the title of your personage!"

_What the…?_ Phoenix thought in surprise. The door closed and the man from the picture, pink suit, purple hair, and all, appeared in front of him.

"Your name!" the man practically yelled at him. Phoenix got the sense that this was his inside voice. "What's your name?" His smile was unshakeable, literally sparkling like a toothpaste add. "I was just inquirably asking the title that you go by."

"Uh… Wright. Phoenix Wright," Phoenix replied awkwardly. _Inquirably…? Is that even a word?_

"Mr. Wright, is it? Right, I see…" White replied, still smiling. His ugly polka-dot tie was really distracting Phoenix. "Splendiferous. Perhaps I have intimidated you with my giantesque vocabulary…?" He sounded almost hopeful.

_What is this guy's problem!?_ Phoenix thought incredulously.

"I'm Redd White, CEO of Bluecorp. You know, Corporate Expansion Official?" White continued. "My business dealings bring me into contact with the elite of the elite. So I'm afraid I am not used to conversing with the wordily-challenged."

Phoenix could barely restrain himself from rolling his eyes. _What a fruitcake!_

_ "_Hmmm, let me guess…" White said, looking Phoenix up and down and wrinkling his nose in disgust. "You are an attorney fresh out of law school, are you not? That's the only explanation for why you would come to meet me like this!"

_Like what? What does he mean by that?_

"No matter," White said, brushing a piece of nonexistent lint from his neon pink jacket, causing the blue jewels to sparkle blindingly. "So, what business does a 'mighty' lawyer have with a man such as myself?"

Phoenix could detect a mocking tone in the man's voice. _Yipes! This guy's arrogance meter is off the scale! _"Miss May is an employee of Bluecorp, is she not?" Phoenix asked, trying to sound a little more impressive and less 'wordily-challenged.'

"Correct. She was my secretariat," White replied, still smiling.

Phoenix was annoyed. _Why didn't you just say secretary?_

"What a shock it was to hear what she has done!" White continued, spreading his hands in a despairing gesture.

"'What she has done…'" Phoenix repeated. "You mean the wiretap?"

"Indeed!" White boomed. "She is paid to answer phones. Tapping them is NOT in her job description." Phoenix was more than a little suspicious. "She does gather information for us as part of her duties. But, I assure you, we do not condone illegal methods!" He shrugged again, his huge smile still present, despite the seriousness of the statement. "It is ineffable that she would do this."

_It sounds like he's trying to turn Miss May into a scapegoat…_ Phoenix thought, frowning. "Oh the night of the murder, were you in April May's hotel room?" he asked, wondering if he should even bother getting out a notebook to write things down.

"Who can say? I seldom pay attention to mundane details such as time and place," White replied airily, waving a hand. "My motto is: 'Don't worry, be happy!'"

Phoenix groaned inwardly. "Still, Mr. White…" he continued. "The hotel bellboy has stated on the record that he does remember you very clearly."

The other man was quiet for a minute, shaking his head back and forth as if trying to dislodge something. Finally, he focused on Phoenix again. "No matter! The bellboy can say what he pleases. I still won't talk to you," he said firmly. "If you want me to speak, put me on the witness stand! Although I doubt you'd be capable of doing that."

_Hmm. He raises a good question, actually… Why didn't prosecution call him as a witness? He should have 'seen' the same thing as April May!_ Phoenix thought, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh hoh hoh," White chuckled. "The police… The courts… To me they are mere toys. Playthings for my amusement!" His voice was unbelievably cocky.

Phoenix couldn't think of any way to press this point further, so he decided to move on. "What kind of company is Bluecorp, anyway?" he asked, curious despite himself.

"Ah, excellent question," White said, an excited gleam in his eye. "We buy and sell various kinds of information. We are a company of the future! You might say, we ARE the future!"

Phoenix was utterly lost. _Sell… information?_

White continued enthusiastically. "In just 10 years, I've built this business up into the grand office you see now," he told the attorney, looking proudly around the room. Then he seemed to think of something. "Ah, in case you were wondering, Bluecorp was named after the color 'blue'!"

_No, really?! _Phoenix thought sarcastically.

"I, Redd White of Bluecorp, as founder and CEO, named it so! And why, you ask?"

_No, not really…_

"Because I like the color blue, of course!" He paused, seemingly waiting for Phoenix to say something. When the attorney didn't, the other man continued. "Fantabulistic, is it not?"

Phoenix had been trying to ignore it, but finally, he had to say something. "Um… there's something that's been bothering me," he asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"That big painting on the wall over there…" Phoenix paused. _How should I put this…?_ "You know, I've actually seen that painting before."

"Oh?" White asked curiously.

"Just yesterday, actually," Phoenix continued.

"Your point being…?" White said, shaking his head again.

"My point is simple." Phoenix paused, rethinking. "Er, rather, my question is simple: Why is that paining hanging on your wall?"

White was deathly silent, his eyes growing hard, but his smile never wavering. "Mr. Wrong, was it?" he asked, the faintest twinge of sarcasm in his voice.

"Wright," Phoenix reminded him. White didn't seem to pay any attention.

"It appears you do not fully grasp your position here," White said, his voice dangerously low. "I ask again. Who are you?"

"Umm… huh? A lawyer?" Phoenix asked, utterly lost.

"No, my feeble friend. A 'mere' lawyer," White said, his smile growing a little more sinister. "Worth nothing. Zilch. Zippo. Nada! Just like that sorry excuse for an attorney, Grodyburger!"

_Wh-what!?_ Phoenix's pride was deeply wounded and he didn't know who this Grodyburger person was… unless… Grossberg? His thoughts were rudely interrupted by a sharp pain. "Ughh!"

His vision faded for a second. Then it cleared, revealing the same unpleasant sight in front of him. "Uhh… uhhh… _He… he punched me! _he thought in shock, rubbing the side of his face.

"Well, Mr. Lawyer. What will you do, eh? Charge me with assault?" White asked mockingly. "Charge away, I welcome it! For it is YOU who will be found guilty!"

"What…?" Phoenix muttered.

"Heed my exposition!" White proclaimed grandly. "The police, the courts, they all do my bidding."

_So you say… But I wonder… Is that kind of control really possible?_ Phoenix was having a hard time even comprehending that.

"I don't expect you to understand. It is a world beyond your compensation." He paused for a moment. "You came here from Grodyburger's, I presume?"

"Mr. Grossberg's… yes."

Whtie grinned. "Then you must asked him: Why is it that this painting of his hands here? Perhaps then he will tell you?" he asked with an ironic tone. "Perhaps he will explain how a man can live life purely for personal profit!" Another silence. Then White finally seemed to lose his patience. "Go now! Skedaddle! There is nothing more to discuss!" he demanded.

Knowing that he would get no more out of Redd White, Phoenix decided that the best lead he had would be (unfortunately) following White's advice and going to see Grossberg. _Hopefully he'll be there this time…_

_**September 7**_

_**Grossberg Law Office**_

Grossberg was sitting at his desk, looking somber. He was quiet as Phoenix entered.

_Huh? I don't think he's noticed me standing here. Maybe I should… clear my throat? _

"Aaa-HHEM!" Phoenix coughed loudly, breaking the silence in the room.

"Jumping Jehosephats!" Grossberg exclaimed, practically falling out of his chair. "Oh! You!" he said, his eyes focusing on Phoenix.

"What's wrong? You looked so pensive… like an old man at the end of his days," Phoenix told him. Grossberg looked at him dolefully.

"Hmm? I'm not senile yet!" he said huffily, lifting his head again. He stood up and moved in front of his desk, standing in front of Phoenix. "I was just thinking about this whole mess…"

_Something's really bothering him, that much is clear, _Phoenix reflected thoughtfully. "So you came to see the trial?" he said hopefully.

"Yes, yes I did," Grossberg replied. "Something was bothering me all last night, you see, couldn't get a wink of sleep."

"Really? What was that?" Phoenix asked curiously.

"Well, you see, it's just… Mia's sister, that poor girl. My boy, I owe you my thanks, truly." He looked sorrowful again, sweat forming on his brow. "I don't know what I would have done if things had gone poorly for the girl." He didn't seem to want to say anything else on the matter.

"I asked before, but, why did you refuse her request for defense?" Phoenix said. "I think I have a right to know."

"A right, Mr. Wright?" Grossberg asked. Phoenix was unsure whether the other man was trying to make a bad pun or not. The older lawyer seemed to be lost in thought. Then he snapped back, eyes on Phoenix again. "No, no, I'm sorry," he muttered uncertainly. "It's just, I need more time to think about it, my boy."

Phoenix was quiet. _He does seem troubled about something… I'm starting to have a feeling I know what it is. _"So, I paid Bluecorp a visit," the blue-suited attorney said casually.

"Oh?" Grossberg said, a hint of surprise and something Phoenix couldn't place in his voice. "Oh, I _see."_

"Mr. Grossberg… I have to admit, something has been bothering me."

"Oh? What is it? Well, out with it, my boy!" Grossberg said loudly. A little too loudly.

"You see, it's just…" Phoenix said, then paused. He again had no idea how to put it. "Mr. Grossberg, sir…" he stalled uncertainly, then decided what to say. "There was a giant painting hanging right there the other day, was there not? The one you said you had 'no intention of parting with'?" Phoenix frowned at Grossberg. "Well, I saw it. Today," he stated plainly. "It was in the CEO 's office at Bluecorp. Redd White's office."

Grossberg was silent, his mustache quivering. "So… you noticed."

_It was kind of hard not to…_

"I suppose I should have guessed you would. It is a large painting…" Grossberg looked reflective, gazing off into the distance.

"Mr. Grossberg, I know you and Mr. White are connected somehow!" Phoenix exclaimed.

"C-connected, you say?" Grossberg said in surprise.

"Yes! And I know what it is…" Phoenix took a moment to evaluate all his options. _He's giving you information? Well, that could be true… He's blackmailing you? The most likely case, but there's something even more fun that'll get him to crack. A little revenge for Maya…_

"It's not something I can claim to understand…" he began, faking uncertainty. "But you and Mr. White…" _Pause for_ _dramatic effect… _"Are lovers, aren't you!?"

The reaction was instantaneous. "W-w-what! My boy!" Grossberg practically squawked.

"You sent that painting to him! As a sign! A sign of undying love!" Phoenix proclaimed, barely able to keep a straight face.

"M-m-my boy, please!" Grossberg muttered uncomfortably. "You're letting your fancies run away with you! Where do you get these bizarre ideas?"

"I… I don't understand how you could…" Phoenix was a little surprised. He thought he'd been so convincing, even he'd started to believe himself.

"That's because I'm not, we're not… Don't be ridiculous!" Grossberg was quiet, his cheeks a bit red. "Enough," he said, regaining his composure. "I'll swallow my pride and tell you all."

_I knew it! They are lovers! And I was kind of kidding!_

"N-no! We are NOT lovers!"

_…He can hear my thoughts…?_

Grossberg took a deep breath. "Redd White is a man who makes his living through intimidation. Bluecorp is a company that excels in finding people's weaknesses, I'm afraid. I've been paying them for 15 years now…" He sighed, looking pitiful and blinking quickly.

_15 years…! _Phoenix thought incredulously.

"All because of the 'DL-6 Incident,' as you may have guessed," Grossberg told him.

_The name on the back of those photographs!_

As you suspected, I could not stand in defense of Maya because of this. White would have destroyed me if I did."

_So that's the connection!_ Phoenix thought triumphantly.

"It is hard for me to tell you this, my boy," Grossberg said sadly. "But arresting Redd White would be nigh on impossible."

"Impossible?" Phoenix asked, his heart sinking. "Why?!"

"He has information on everyone. It gives him an iron grip! He owns judges, attorneys, prosecutors, police… and politicians."

"What?!" Phoenix said in surprise. _How's that even possible!?_

"They are bound, unable to do harm to themselves, and therefore, to him. Don't look at me like that," he said, cutting off Phoenix's glare. "What you see is nothing more than the weight of many years."

Phoenix decided that it would be a good idea to learn more about Redd White from Grossberg, which meant learning about the attorney's past. "What is the DL-6 Incident?" he asked, because in all his time as an attorney (which was admittedly not much), he'd never heard of it.

"'DL-6' is nothing more than the sorting code the police gave the case," Grossberg replied dully. "It was 15 years ago now… I received a request from a medium. A spirit medium."

_A medium…? _Phoenix wondered where this was going.

"Her name was Misty Fey," Grossberg continued.

_Fey! _Phoenix thought in surprise and recognition.

"Indeed," Grossberg said, reading his face. "She was Mia's mother. She had been investigating a murder at the bequest of the police. And…" Grossberg sighed. "She failed. As a result, the police called her a fraud."

_This is what Maya was talking about the other day! _Phoenix realized with a shock.

"I did all I could for her, and in the end, cleared her of all wrongdoing. That murder case, however, remains unsolved to this day. That case is the DL-6 Incident," Grossberg concluded, hands behind his back, looking sternly down at Phoenix.

"But why were you blackmailed over this, Mr. Grossberg?" Phoenix asked, furrowing his eyebrows, still a bit confused.

Grossberg sighed. He'd obviously hoped it wouldn't come to this. "The DL-6 Incident was top-secret at the time. It made sense. The police didn't want people to know they were using a medium!" He shook his head, his voice growing softer. "They couldn't let people know." He cleared his throat, continuing louder. "But one person found out. I…" He seemed to choke up, coughing. "I told him."

"You told White?" Phoenix asked, his body going numb.

"He offered my riches… It is an embarrassment to me now," he whispered. "Because I talked, the police were mocked far and wide. In secret, they began looking for the one who had sold them out. Of course White heard about it, and he came to me." He slumped again, reliving the memory. "Only this time, the offer was blackmail."

Phoenix was quiet, thinking. "I see," he murmured.

There was another period of silence, then Grossberg spoke again. "White controls the law of this country as he sees fit. Yet if you would still challenge him… Have a close look at Mia's office."

"Mia's office…?" Phoenix muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"She followed his every move for years," Grossberg told him. "She may have recorded something of what she found." And with that, the conversation was clearly closed. Grossberg sat back down at his desk, picking up another file. Phoenix knew what to do next: go back to the scene of the crime and examine Mia's files. _It may be the only hope of catching this guy…_


	12. Chapter 12: Turnabout Sisters Part 12

**A/N: Hey guys! My life just got a bit more crazy... I'm now assistant directing my school play and am on the Mock Trial team (as a witness for the defense - WHAT?!). Anyway, the point is, updates are going to be a little slow, especially here. See, the thing is, GameCola did win the poll, so that will be my next project, as this chapter wraps up investigation. But, they have requested something a bit different: 1. Not Phoenix Wright and 2. No copywritten characters. So, I will be doing this project STRICTLY ON THE GAMECOLA WEBSITE, which you all need to visit anyway. It's hopefully going to be fun, a bit more mature, I won't reveal the game quite yet... So, poll will be updated, I'll write down number of votes for each item and y'all are free to vote again. I'm a bit surprised (and also a bit touched) that no one voted for the re-dos, seeing as I've been getting a lot of *cough* constructive criticism (which I fully welcome) on Turnabout Beginnings especially. So long story short, do the poll again, review, check out GameCola, and I'll see you all a bit later.**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p><em><strong>September 7<strong>_

_**Fey and Co. Law Offices**_

"It's funny, looking at this room, it seems… so normal," Phoenix muttered to himself as he entered the office. "Hard to imagine a murder took place here." He looked around. "Mr. Grossberg said there would be clues… Maybe I should have another look." He examined the area around the desk, shuffling through some papers. Finding nothing of interest, he turned around and gave the shelf behind him an appraising look.

"All the cases the chief ever worked on are filed here," Phoenix murmured. "They're in alphabetical order. Let's take a look…" He briefly wondered where to begin. "Which files should I look at…?" He looked at the shelf at eye level, A-I. "Let's see if there's 'A' record in this file that catches my 'I'," he joked, laughing a little before realizing that there was no one there to hear it. "'A'… 'B'… 'F'!" He pulled out a file in the 'F' section. "'Misty Fey.' That's Mia and Maya's mother," he whispered, running a hand over the cover. "Hmmm… Should I take a look?" He again wondered who he was talking to as he opened the file and scanned the first page, a single piece of lined paper filled with Mia's familiar handwriting.

_"'__I have tarnished the Fey family name.__'__ Leaving only these words, my mother vanished. I was determined to find the ones who had made my mother blame herself in this way. Using the E.S.P. that runs in my family, I held an audience with the dead. Finally, the names of two men surfaced. One was Marvin Grossberg, a lawyer who sold my mother__'__s information for riches. The other was the man who sold that information to the press. This parasite, who makes his fortune on threats and coercion__…__ His name is__…"_

Phoenix flipped the paper over and looked at the next page, but there was nothing more in Mia's handwriting. "Hmm. The record stops there."

He was quiet for a second, processing the information. "So Mia knew Grossberg…" His eyes moved a shelf down, to a shelf neatly labeled J-S. "Let's see… 'J' through 'S'…" he muttered, running a finger along the spines of the bound files. "Nothing much in here. Maybe I'll just skim some of this?"

He sighed, knowing the right thing to do, but not looking forward to it. "Well, no harm in flipping through a bit, I guess… The biggest part's here at the end in 'S'… 'Suicide'? Eww…" He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "She has a collection of suicide reports." He flipped through the folder, looking at the dozens paper-clipped together. "There's politicians… policemen…" He was silent until something caught his eye. "There's writing on most of these in pencil," he said, tapping the faded letters. "'White'…? This is Mia's handwriting."

He thought for a second, then snapped his fingers, almost dropping the files. "Wait, I get it! Mia thought he was involved in these 'suicides'! White drove them all to…" Phoenix was horrified, shocked into silence for a moment. "I can use these newspaper clippings," he murmured. "Hmm… let's find the most disturbing one…" He plucked one out of the middle. A story of a politician jumped out at him. It was particularly disconcerting.

**Newspaper Clipping added to the Court Record.**

"Shall I check Mia's files once more?" he asked, talking to himself again. "Which files to check…" He bent down, squinting at the letters on the bottom shelf. "'T'… 'U'… I know, 'W'! 'White'!" He scooted over, looking for the 'W' section. His fingers stopped at a blank hole, his eyes skipping from 'V' to 'X' and back again. "The entire 'W' section is missing!" he exclaimed. "Was it taken…?"

He stood up and took one more look around the office, sighing. He felt the newspaper clipping in his pocket and knew that there was only one place left to go. Back to Bluecorp.

_**September 7**_

_**Bluecorp**_

_**CEO**__**'**__**s Office**_

"Well, aren't you persistant," White greeted him, standing up from his desk and crossing to stand in front of Phoenix. Phoenix couldn't help but feel a little intimidated.

"Sorry, but there's something I have to ask you," Phoenix said.

"Mr. Lawyer," White said, his smile hardening. "I really hate having to repeat myself, but it seems the message has not yet penetrated your thick skull…" He leaned toward Phoenix, putting extra emphasis on the next words. "Stop bothering me!" He leaned back against his golden desk casually, looking pleased with himself. "If you try my patience further, I fear a nasty accident may occur."

Phoenix wondered exactly what that meant, then decided that he really didn't want to know.

"Do I make myself clear?" White asked, smile sparkling.

_Transparent, _Phoenix thought, sweating a little. He debated asking about Miss May again. _I think we__'__re past needing to talk about April May! I__'__ve got to put this guy on the spot, and quick!_

"Hmm? What's the matter? You seem… distressed," White said, examining Phoenix with a raised eyebrow.

_The night of the murder, maybe? _Phoenix shook his head impatiently. _This guy is a pro at pulling the wool over people__'__s eyes. I__'__ve got to put him on the spot, and quick! Wait__…__ didn__'__t I just say that?_

_"_Stop that!" White squealed abruptly and Phoenix looked at him in surprise. "Your hot gaze is giving me goosebumps!"

_Is this guy for real!? Should I just ask him about blackmail? No, Wright, that__'__s stupid. There__'__s not point asking someone this crooked a straight question! I need some evidence I can use as ammo__…_

"What's wrong? Is something stuck to my face?" White asked. His hands reached up to pat his face. "Why yes! There's my eyes, and my nose, and my mouth…" He laughed loudly, shaking his head in amusement. "But of course I jest. You need not restrain your mirth, my friend!" Phoenix must have looked uncertain, for he continued. "It is okay to indulge in my cosmopolitan sense of humor. I will not think less of you."

Phoenix felt the newspaper clipping rustle in his pocket. _This is the only clue that Mia left me__…__ I__'__d better make this one count!_"Mr. White… see this?" he said, handing him the article. "It's an article describing the suicide of a politician."

White was quiet, seemingly reading the paper.

"He was embezzling secret government funds. Then, one day, word leaked to the press. The very next day he took his own life."

"And this concerns me how…?" White asked, shrugging and practically throwing the paper back to him.

"I found this article in Mia's office," Phoenix said, carefully slipping the paper back in his pocket.

"Miss Mia…?" White muttered, looking at the floor for a split second, then recovering.

"She had a file filled with articles like this," Phoenix told him. "Every one of them was labeled with a single word… 'White.'"

The other man's eyes widened slightly.

"Mr. White, I know what you did to that politician. You were blackmailing him!"

"Blackmail?" White repeated, trying to make the word sound foreign.

"Not just him either," Phoenix continued. "You were threatening and coercing hundreds of others! You were involved in all of the suicide cases that Mia investigated!" He pictured the stacks and stacks of papers in the 'S' file and shuddered. That was a lot of cases. "This company is built on blackmail! I'm right, aren't I?" he asked triumphantly.

"What a bizarre accusation," White told him, still looking confident. "Mr. Wrong…" Phoenix decided not to correct him. "What is it that you should be doing now? Investigating me?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "No no no. I think not. You should be searching for the one who killed Miss Mia!"

He backed up and pressed a button on the interphone on his desk. There was a beep and a woman's voice emanated from it. "Secretary's Office, hello?"

"Mr. Wrong will be leaving now," White said calmly, still smiling, his eyes on Phoenix still.

"Yes, sir. I'll send someone right away," the brisk female voice responded.

"Wait a second, Mr. White…" Phoenix began desperately. He thought for a second and gathered his courage. "You're wrong, Mr. White," he said simply.

"Excuse me?" White said, scandalized. Apparently people didn't tell him that all that often.

"What I should be doing now is going after you!" the attorney exclaimed, fighting the urge to point at White like he would in court.

"Just what are you insinuating?" White asked dangerously, his eyes growing cold.

"Mia was on to you. She was keeping tabs. For this reason you had April May tapping her phone. Then, Mia was murdered, and all the documents about you mysteriously disappeared. So, the culprit would be…?" He trailed off, deciding to let White figure out where he was going on his own.

The CEO was silent, appearing deep in thought.

"Even a child could work it out, Mr. White. You did it!" Phoenix practically yelled.

White said nothing for a second, shaking his head repeatedly. Then he leaned over the golden desk and pressed the button again. The same brisk voice responded. "Secretary's office."

"We won't be needing an escort for Mr. Wrong," White told her, smiling cruelly at Phoenix. "Instead, please connect me to the public prosecutor's office." Phoenix began to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Of course, sir. One moment please…" There were a few more beeps, then the phone began ringing. There was a click and a new voice answered.

"White? That you? What are you doing calling me at a time like this?" Phoenix didn't know what he expected the Chief Prosecutor's voice to sound like, but it definitely wasn't that.

"Hello. Chief Prosecutor?" White said. "I've changed my mind. I want to testify tomorrow."

"What's this about?" the prosecutor asked.

"The Mia Fey case," White said, as though the prosecutor were an imbecile. "I witnessed the murder, you see." Phoenix was shocked. White grinned at him and continued. "And thus, as a very important witness, I would like to testify."

"What?" The chief prosecutor sounded just as surprised as Phoenix felt. "Why now? I thought you said you didn't want to go to court?"

"Quietude…!" White said sharply, frowning at the phone. "I told you I changed my mind, didn't I?" His eyes fell on Phoenix again, and his evil smile returned. "Oh, and one more thing. Send the police over here right away." Phoenix's bad feeling had definitely solidified by now. "The man is standing right in front of me. He looks dazed but could be violent!"

"What? What man?" the voice on the phone said in confusion.

_My thoughts exactly!_

"Are you even listening?" White said dramatically. "The executioner! The hatchet-man! The liquidator… The killer, man!" He pointed at Phoenix, even though there was no one there to see it.

Phoenix's stomach dropped. "What!?" he shrieked, his voice cracking.

"Mr. White…" the prosecutor said uncertainly. "This isn't another one of those…"

Phoenix desperately wanted to hear the end of that sentence, but White cut him off.

"Chief Prosecutor," White said firmly, a clear indication to stop talking. "I do not believe you are in a position to freely offer your opinions to me, correct? I'm telling you to send the police, now!" He slammed his finger on the button, ending the call.

White looked up at Phoenix, a triumphant gleam in his eye. "Did I not tell you, Mr. Wrong? You are a mere lawyer! As was Miss Mia."

"How dare you!" Phoenix spluttered, at a loss for words.

"I'll point the finger at you, and you will be tried as Miss Mia's killer!" White told him with no small amount of satisfaction. "The case is as good as settled. No lawyer of any worth will defend you. I have friends in the local lawyer's association, you see. You'll be given a lawyer so stupendously inept that they make even you look competent."

_I__…__ I feel faint._ And it was true. Between the insults and the general shock of the situation, he felt like he could just drop out cold on the floor at any minute.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and the door to the office flew open, admitting a familiar trench-coated figure. "Detective Gumshoe reporting, sir!" He took one look at Phoenix and jumped backwards. "Aaa! Butz! Harry Butz!" he yelled.

"Wright, actually. Phoenix Wright. And my friend's name is 'Larry'…" Phoenix told him, trying to remain calm.

"Oh, right! Sorry, pal. Butz was that murderer, right?" the detective replied cheerfully.

"Detective Gumshoe," White said, directing the attention back to himself. "I present to you, the man who killed Miss Mia Fey!"

Gumshoe's face fell. "W-what!?"

"Take this despicable human being into custody," White told him. He was quiet for a minute, leaving an almost mocking silence in the air. "Farewell, Mr. Wrong!" And with a last smile from the CEO, Phoenix was dragged from the office.

_**September 8, 3:37 PM**_

_**Detention Center**_

_**Visitor**__**'**__**s Room**_

Phoenix was sitting in the visitor's room chair, seeing the room from a different perspective. "I can't believe it's only been a day since the first trial. My trial begins tomorrow. White's going to set a trap for me. And the prosecution will be in on it, of course. Edgeworth and Madeline, included. An attorney was assigned to me by the state, yesterday. I refused."

Maya, his visitor, was quiet, listening. When it seemed like Phoenix was in an unshakeable reverie. "Wright! Mr. Wright!"

"Oh, Maya!" Phoenix said. He couldn't remember if he'd known that she was there or not. "Great, they let you out of detention," he told her, trying to sound enthusiastic, but failing.

"Just now, yes," Maya said cheerfully. "It's all thanks to you!"

"Hah," Phoenix sighed. "Now I'm afraid we've switched places."

"What?" Maya said in surprise, her eyes filling with tears. Phoenix wondered why Maya thought he was sitting in jail. "You mean, you…?"

Phoenix quickly explained the details of what had happened to Maya. When he finished, she looked depressed.

"I don't believe it!" she said incredulously. "How many people does that man have to break before he's satisfied!? My mother… My sister… And now you!" She seemed lost in unpleasant memories, then her face twisted in anger. "This has gone too far! Mr. Wright, please tell me, is there anything I can do?"

"Um… well…" She looked so earnest that Phoenix couldn't help but mess with her a little. "Right. Okay, listen up. I want you to help me break out of here!" he told her seriously.

Maya looked shocked, her eyes very wide. "You mean… a jail break?" she whispered, looking around at the guard.

"Yeah," Phoenix said, trying not to laugh. "Tonight's our only chance!"

The medium got that determined look on her face again. "Alright!" she said, fists clenched.

"Huh?" Phoenix said. _Does she actually__…__?_

"Oh, I'd better go get a hacksaw while the stores are still open," Maya muttered to herself. "Oh, oh! And a rope ladder, and a getaway car!" She looked up at Phoenix, brown eyes glowing with crazed excitement. "Can you drive?" Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared, apparently headed for the door.

Phoenix was quiet for a second, processing. "W-wait. Wait wait wait," he said, calling her back.

"What what what?"Maya asked breathlessly, reappearing.

"I'm kidding!" Phoenix told her quickly. "It was a joke!"

Her jaw dropped. "No way!"

"No really, I was kidding," he reassured her. "But thanks. It's good to know you're on my side." _And there really isn__'__t anything you can do for me anyway__…_

"But… but I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Maya said indignantly. "I've got to give that man a piece of my mind!"

_Just a piece__…__? _Phoenix thought sarcastically. Out loud, he said, "Okay. Then, come to the court tomorrow."

"O-okay! I'll be there!" Maya simply looked ecstatic that she could do something to help. "I'll show them a thing or two!" The guard slowly snapped to attention, checked his watch, and beckoned to Maya, silently informing her that her time was up. She bid him goodbye rather cheerfully, promising to see him in the defendant lobby tomorrow morning. Another guard arrived to escort Phoenix back to his cell.

As he sat alone, the attorney began to talk aloud. "It's the beginning of a new century, yet with crime it's the same old story. In fact, it's gotten worse." He sighed at the wall. "Lengthy court proceedings are no longer realistic. Beginning a few years ago, a limit of three days was put on initial court trials. Almost all finish in a day." He shivered slightly. "Most with a guilty verdict. I never thought I would end up in the defendant's chair myself." A vision of Redd White floated in front of his eyes. "Tomorrow the true culprit will appear as a witness." The apparition began laughing demonically. "This is it! It's me or him!"

Phoenix sat back, satisfied. If anyone ever wanted to write a book about him, this would be perfect material. Then he again wondered why he was talking to walls.


	13. Chapter 13: Turnabout Sisters Part 13

**A/N: Guys. I'm not dead. **

**So I'm back! Yay! I've been super busy with school, theatre, and GameCola, but finally, I'm back! I only have one chapter of my GameCola project left, then I'll be back here for good. So, how bout that Ace Attorney news, huh? Exciting!**

**Also, just a bit of advertising for GameCola's YouTube channel, gcdotnet. You should check out Hacks 'n' Slash, where we read bad fanfiction like there's no tomorrow. Definitely my favorite project I do with them.**

**Alright, I'll shut up now. Enjoy the chapter. Talk to ya later! Don't forget about the poll, it'll be closing when the last chapter of the GameCola fic is published.**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>A knock on the door interrupted Phoenix. "Now who could that be?" he asked, trying to break the silence in the room. It took the listeners a moment to return to the office. They'd been so wrapped up in Phoenix's tale, they hardly remembered where they were.<p>

"Okay, I'll get it, I guess," Phoenix said when no one responded, getting up and moving toward the door. As he left, he heard conversation slowly return to normal as the tension caused by the story lessened.

Phoenix opened the door and his jaw dropped. "Y-Your Honor?"

It was distinctly disconcerting to see the judge in normal clothes, and indeed, it seemed from the way that the man shifted uncomfortably that he didn't feel right either. "Hello Mr. Wright," the judge said, extending his hand. "Sorry I'm late."

Phoenix shook the offered hand. "You're not really late, sir," he replied, stepping back to allow the judge to enter. As they walked into the main room, cries of surprise came from the older crowd (and Apollo) as they stood to greet the judge.

"This is a pretty mellow party," the judge observed, sitting down in an armchair. "Back in my day, I attended some pretty crazy parties, eh, Grossberg?"

The other man chortled, nodding. "Yes, they even had those crazy machines, what were they…?"

Everyone seemed to be rapidly losing interest, so Phoenix began again as the judge and Grossberg tried to relive old memories.

_**September 9, 9:52 AM**_

_**District Court**_

_**Defendant Lobby No. 1**_

"Well… I guess this is it!" Maya looked determined, a resolute frown on her face.

"Yeah." Phoenix was significantly less enthusiastic, trying to keep the nervous sweat from running down his face. "One way or another, this case gets decided today." _One way or another…_

Maya nodded, then her eyes widened as they found a spot behind him and she looked frozen in place. "Aaa!" she squeaked. "Ph-Phoenix! Look!"

Phoenix was wondering what on earth she could be referring to when all of the sudden, Miles Edgeworth appeared in front of him. _..! Prosecutor… Edgeworth._

Edgeworth was looking as cold and stiff as ever, simply blinking at the defense attorney, ever-present frown still on his face. Madeline was standing just behind him, giving Phoenix a cool stare. Her eyes softened very slightly when they moved to Maya, who'd somehow teleported to cowering behind Phoenix.

Finally, Edgeworth spoke. "I received a call from the public prosecutor's office yesterday," he said formally.

Phoenix was lost. _And this is important…?_

The prosecutor glared at him. "He told me that whatever Mr. White says today, it will be the 'absolute truth.'" Without waiting for a response, he continued. "No matter how you try to attack his testimony, if I raise an objection, I have it on good faith that the judge will listen to me."

_What, does White have the judge in his pocket, too!? _Phoenix thought incredulously. Out loud, he said, "So… you're saying I'm going to be guilty. End of story?"

Edgeworth resorted to his normal glare, remaining silent for a moment. Then he spoke, the quiet lobby ringing with the seriousness of his words. "I will do anything to get my verdict, Wright. Anything." Madeline's eyes shifted to the floor, lips pressed into a line.

"Why… Why!?" Maya asked helplessly from behind Phoenix, eyes boring into the pair. "How can you torment an innocent person like this!?"

"'Innocent'…?" Madeline spoke for the first time, repeating the word as if it was foreign to her, eye still fixed on the tile floor. "How can we know that?"

"The guilty will always lie, to avoid being found out," Edgeworth continued, addressing it to both Madeline and the defense team, speaking as though it was a lesson to both of them. "There's no way to tell who is guilty and who is innocent! All that I-," he paused, turning to Madeline, "we, can hope to do is get every defendant declared 'guilty'!" He turned back to Phoenix. "So I make that my policy."

"Edgeworth…" Phoenix muttered, meeting the prosecutor's sharp gray eyes for the first time with what he hoped was an unreadable expression on his face. "You've changed."

The reaction from both Maya and Madeline was immediate.

"Hmm?" Maya said in surprise, eyes huge. "Phoenix! You know him?!"

A few feet away, Madeline was also questioning Edgeworth. "Sir? What does he mean 'You've changed!?" she whispered, gently touching his arm. He moved his arm away, decidedly not answering her questions. She blushed and fell back.

"Don't expect any special treatment, Phoenix Wright," Edgeworth told him plainly, gray eyes incomprehensible. And then he was gone, the lobby doors swinging behind him.

Madeline made to follow, but something stopped her. She paused for a moment, looking at the pair, seeming as though she wanted to say something. But when Phoenix opened his mouth to speak, she was gone, whisking out the door, the click of her heels fading down the hallway.

"Ph-Phoenix…?"

The lawyer looked up. He'd been so lost in his own thoughts that he'd almost forgotten that Maya was there. But he didn't want to talk about what he knew she was going to ask about. Not here, not now, maybe not ever.

"Well… court will be opening for session soon," he told her.

Maya looked surprised. She clearly didn't usually get shut down when she was curious about something, so she seemed to be scrambling for something to say. "What? But wait! Your defense attorney isn't even here yet! He's not…"

"I'll be defending myself," Phoenix said, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. He'd made the decision yesterday afternoon and was now regretting it a little.

"Whaaaat!?" Maya shrieked, earning a disapproving look from the bailiff.

"Okay, let's do this." _No backing out now…_

_**September 9, 10:00 AM**_

_**District Court**_

_**Courtroom No. 1**_

The courtroom was full of chatter as Phoenix and Maya entered. Edgeworth and Madeline were already behind the prosecution bench, deep in quiet conversation. The judge's gavel banged, cutting through the rabble effortlessly.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Phoenix Wright." Phoenix shuddered at the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied the judge naming him as the defendant.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Edgeworth said as Madeline fussed with the evidence to avoid looking at the defense team.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Phoenix responded.

"Mr. Wright…" the judge said, a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you sure you're up to doing this?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes, Your Honor." It wasn't exactly like he had any other choice. "I will be defending myself."

The judge nodded in return. "Understood." He turned his gaze to the prosecution. "Very well. Mr. Edgeworth, your opening statement, please."

"As the details of the event are already quite clear to the court, today we will hear the testimony of another witness to the defendant's crime," Edgeworth said firmly.

The judge nodded thoughtfully. "I see. The prosecution may call its witness."

Phoenix frowned. _That went far too smoothly_. _Why didn't the judge ask Edgeworth why his witness didn't testify before?! _He tapped his chin, thinking. _It's like… it's like he already knows why! Hmm. If anyone's going to raise an objection about this, I suppose it's me…_ He cleared his throat and slammed his hands against the desk. "Mr. Edgeworth, Miss Brent, you owe an explanation to the court!" They looked up at him, Madeline surprised and Edgeworth unimpressed. "Why didn't this witness testify in the trial against Ms. Maya Fey!?"

Edgeworth shrugged, chuckling. "Hmph. I'm ever so sorry!" he apologized, his words lacking sincerity. "Mr. White is a busy man, and besides…" He paused a moment. "At the time, I thought that Ms. May's opinion was all that would be needed. Again, my sincerest apologies to the court."

The judge shook his head, dismissing Phoenix's objection. "Excellent, Mr. Edgeworth. I appreciate your demeanor."

Edgeworth bowed, smirking. Madeline raised her eyebrows at Phoenix. "Nice try," she mouthed.

Phoenix felt sweat begin to form on his brow. _Great. They get to show off, and I get nowhere._

"I would like to call Mr. Redd White to the stand!" Edgeworth announced.

The bailiff swore in Redd White, who recited the oath pompously, casually showing off his bling to the entire court. "Please state your full name," Edgeworth said.

"You wish to know the title of my personage?" White said loudly, still wearing the same slightly creepy smile that he'd had in his office. He tilted his rings so they would catch the light. Phoenix wondered why he kept doing that.

"Er… your name?" Edgeworth repeated, not changing expression.

"Yes! That is what I said!" White said, shaking his head in exasperation. "Oh dear, do my locutions confuse?" he asked innocently.

Edgeworth banged his desk irritably, glaring at the witness. "Name!" he demanded.

_These two are great together… _Phoenix thought absently, watching in amusement as this went on for several more minutes.

Madeline gently tapped Edgeworth's arm under the desk, trying to calm him down. He looked away and took a deep breath, returning his glare to the witness without acknowledging her.

Finally White answered. "My name is Redd White. But my friends call me Blanco Nino."

"White Boy?" Madeline muttered, somewhere between confusion and laughter. She quickly grew quiet as he continued.

"I am the CEO, or to use the more common term, the Preisdent, of Bluecorp."

"Did you know the victim, Ms. Mia Fey?" Edgeworth asked, regaining his composure.

"That would be a nugatory!" At the confused looks from everyone in the court, White reiterated, "No, I did not."

Edgeworth was silent, apparently thinking. Madeline glanced at him, then jumped in. "You were at the Gatewater Hotel the night of the murder?" she asked.

"Correct," White replied, still grinning.

"And you witnessed the murder from there?" Edgeworth said, recovering and continuing.

White cleared his throat. "Ahem. Why tell you what you already know?" he answered innocently.

'Very well, Mr. White," the judge said. "You may begin your testimony."

_If I can't rip this guy's testimony apart, I'm done for_. _Why do I always feel like it's the end of the world and I'm the last man standing?_ Phoenix stifled a small whimper.

"Ho hoh hoh," White chuckled, allowing his rings to catch the light again. "I hope you have made your peace with God, Mr. Lawyer," he said mockingly.

"..!" Phoenix started.

"Let him have it, Phoenix," Maya encouraged from next to him, practically glaring at him, her fists clenched.

_Here we go!_ Phoenix thought as White prepared to begin his testimony. _It's now or never! If I can't prove he's lying, I'll be sitting on the other side of the detention center… permanently! _


End file.
